Latest Report Claims When the New James Bond Will Be Announced, and Fans Won’t Have Long to Wait

Ever since Daniel Craig closed out his 5-film run as 007 in ‘No Time to Die’, the question of who will be the next James Bond has refused to go away. Every few weeks, a new name surfaces, from rising stars to established leading men, and each rumor sets off another round of betting odds. The wait has been long enough that it now looks set to become the longest gap between Bond films in the franchise’s history.

Behind the scenes, the pieces have been falling into place. Amazon MGM Studios took creative control from the Broccoli family in February 2025, and Denis Villeneuve is directing, with Steven Knight writing the script and Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing. Casting director Nina Gold joined in the spring, and the studio confirmed in May that its search was underway.

Now the end of that search may finally be in sight. Reports say a casting decision for the new James Bond could land before Thanksgiving. Deadline said the final group of actors was no bigger than 5 and predicted that a decision could be reached by that point.

Amazon MGM has declined to comment on the reports and has not confirmed a date. Producer Amy Pascal had previously indicated that the end of 2026 was a good bet for an announcement, but that was framed as an expectation rather than a firm deadline.

Final screen tests began in London on October 23 and continued into the following week. They were originally planned for early October, but schedule conflicts pushed them back to the end of the month. At first, Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor were the names linked to the tests.

Then 2 more big names entered the conversation. Robert Pattinson reportedly screen-tested the weekend of October 24 while filming ‘The Batman Part II’, and Nicholas Hoult is said to have tested as well. Deadline noted that the Pattinson and Hoult reports were not confirmed, and that a fifth test was added at the last minute.

Both actors have credentials that would make them credible 007s. Pattinson stars in Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part Three’, which opens December 18, and that collaboration reportedly went well. Hoult plays Lex Luthor in the new Superman film and headlines the Amazon MGM movie ‘How to Rob a Bank’, which hits theaters November 13.

The field may not be done widening. Variety reported that Harry Styles has also discussed playing 007, while Theo James has not been ruled out. That mix suggests the studio and director are still weighing very different directions for the character.

Plenty of names have come and gone along the way. Jacob Elordi and Jack O’Connell were both linked to the role earlier, but recent reports indicate neither took part in the latest screen tests. A mid-October rumor claimed Elordi would be announced “very soon”, and it was quickly knocked down when the trades reported who was actually testing.

Another claim has Showbiz411’s Roger Friedman saying Turner has the job. Amazon MGM has not confirmed that, and it is the second supposed winner named in recent weeks, so it deserves caution. As one outlet put it, 2 A-list names landing this late only keeps everyone guessing until the studio makes its move.

Once an actor is named, the production timeline starts to matter. Reports suggest Amazon MGM plans to begin production on the film sometime in 2027, with a release expected in 2028. Villeneuve has also been wrapping up his work on the Dune series before turning his full attention to Bond.

For fans, the reveal will be the first real look at how Amazon intends to reinvent one of cinema’s longest-running franchises. The studio has said it is taking its time out of care and respect for the character, which is a reminder of how much is riding on the choice. Whoever lands the role will carry both a legacy and a new corporate era.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!