Jeff Bezos Reportedly Has a Preferred Choice for the Next James Bond

Few casting searches in Hollywood have dragged on as long as the hunt for the next James Bond. Daniel Craig last played the role in ‘No Time to Die’, and since then, nearly every handsome young actor on the planet has been linked to the part at one point or another.

The stakes only rose after Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion and later took creative control of the franchise through a joint venture with longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Jeff Bezos wasted little time making his interest public, asking his followers who they would pick as the next 007 and inviting a flood of replies, with Henry Cavill fans leading the charge.

Now a new report suggests the billionaire has a favorite of his own. According to the Daily Mail, Jack Lowden is reportedly Bezos’ preferred choice to take over the role, though Amazon MGM has not confirmed anything.

Lowden is best known for starring opposite Gary Oldman in the Emmy-winning Apple TV series ‘Slow Horses’. He has been floated as a frontrunner for months, and bookmaker Ladbrokes reportedly told The Sun that bettors were backing him.

Lowden himself has played down the chatter. He told reporters it is flattering to be mentioned for any role, but he does not intend to add to the noise, and he joked that young actors in suits tend to get the Bond label thrown at them.

Jack Lowden is reportedly Jeff Bezos’ preferred choice to become the next James Bond. (via @DailyMail) https://t.co/s6erw7aCrD

— Bond Archives (@BondArchives) November 10, 2026

Amazon MGM said in May that the search for the next Bond was underway. Director Denis Villeneuve, producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, and casting director Nina Gold are leading the process, with Steven Knight writing the script.

Deadline reported that the search reached the test stage, with Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner and Jack Lowden among 4 actors extended test offers. Pascal has said an announcement by the end of the year is a good bet, and production is reportedly planned to begin in 2027.

The picture is far from settled, and reports conflict on who is leading. The Sun reported that Lowden was the clear favorite after final auditions at Bray Studios, with Turner as his main rival.

Another report claimed that Jacob Elordi emerged as Amazon’s preferred candidate, with Lowden representing a more conventional choice for the quintessentially British role. Meanwhile, Showbiz411’s Roger Friedman has claimed that Turner is the new 007, and Variety reported that Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult were late contenders who tested for the part.

The casting chatter has attracted plenty of famous commentary. Pierce Brosnan reportedly gave his stamp of approval to Turner, while Oldman threw his support behind Lowden, his ‘Slow Horses’ co-star.

Oldman later clarified that he does not know who the next Bond is and was simply hoping his friend gets the part. That backtrack turned what sounded like a spoiler into a fond endorsement.

The next film will be the first released by Amazon MGM Studios and the first with no creative involvement from Eon Productions. A source cited by one outlet said the decision is enormously important because the new Bond needs to carry the franchise into a new era.

That pressure helps explain why every rumor draws so much attention. Even a reported preference from the studio’s owner is only one piece of a process that involves a director, producers and a studio team.

For now, Amazon MGM has stayed silent on specific details, saying only that it will share more news with fans when the time is right. That leaves the rumor mill free to keep spinning until an official announcement arrives, and every new report is likely to be treated as a clue until then.

If the reports about Bezos are accurate, Lowden would be a more traditional choice than some of the other names circulating. Whether the franchise’s new owner gets his way is a question only the official announcement can answer.

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