Not only is there progress when it comes to casting the next James Bond, with director Denis Villeneuve and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman having recently notified actors who advanced to the next round of auditions.
The next tests are expected to take place in August, with Villeneuve himself reportedly reaching out directly to talent. The process signals that the search is moving into the decisive stage, but the names of those in contention continue to remain under wraps.
That said, Pascal is now telling Deadline that we will get to know who is playing the next 007 by year’s end, which makes my recent October prediction still valid — and, in my view, makes the most sense.
I would say the end of the year is a good bet [for new Bond announcement]. We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow. And it’s got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different.
Behind the scenes, casting efforts have been building for months. Pascal and Heyman were brought on in spring 2025, while casting director Nina Gold was meeting with both “emerging and lesser-known actors” to help refine the broader candidate list.
The number of actors expected to audition this month is unclear. Some sources suggest a tight shortlist of around five to seven candidates. Names such as Callum Turner and Jacob Elordi have been rumored for months as potential candidates, but none could be confirmed — the process has been NDA’ed at each and every step.
Several studio executives told Page Six that Amazon/MGM is reportedly looking for a younger actor — preferably under 30 — who can carry the franchise across five films, much like Daniel Craig did during his 15-year 007 run, which began in 2006.
Villeneuve was hired to direct and brought on writer Steven Knight (”Peaky Blinders”) to shape the script, which, according to the latest report in June, was still being written.
The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.