So, whatever rumors you’d heard of Bond auditions still happening are not true. Steven Knight, the screenwriter of the next James Bond film, is saying that the new 007 has already been cast.
Knight said, “It’s a bit of both” when asked whether he had written the character with the chosen actor in mind. He added: “It does make life a little bit easier if you know who that person is, but also you have to write the character, not the actor.” When pressed on when he learned the actor’s identity, Knight replied, “I’ll refer you to my previous answer.”
Knight said he is “trying to shut out” the intense speculation surrounding the casting and described the project as a duty: “The only thing I can say is it feels like I’m doing my duty for king and country – if you’re a British writer, you have to do it.”
He also said he loves Bond’s distinctly British identity and “feels a responsibility to” Ian Fleming’s source material.
This also means that Knight is still writing the script for Bond 26, with the process having started sometime around September 2025. That’s well over a year of writing, and only now does he know the identity of the actor chosen, which seems to be helping, and I presume another draft will now be in order.
Jack Lowden is currently the bookmakers’ favourite, with other names including Jack Barton, Callum Turner, and Jacob Elordi reportedly in contention.
Yesterday, Gary Oldman echoed Knight’s comments and backed Lowden, his “Slow Horses” co-star, while former Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams has stressed that the new actor should retain an element of mystery.
Will Academy voters feel the same way? Directors tend to respect directors who swing big, and having Villeneuve publicly champion your film doesn't hurt.