The James Bond Search Just Got Real: Six Actors Reportedly Set for September Screen Tests

The search for Daniel Craig’s successor has dragged on for years, fueled by endless speculation, betting odds, and social media campaigns for one favorite or another. With Amazon MGM now firmly in control of the franchise and Denis Villeneuve confirmed as director, fans have been waiting for something more concrete than rumor to finally emerge.

That wait may finally be over. Villeneuve and Amazon MGM Studios have reportedly narrowed the field down to a shortlist of six actors, all set to screen-test for the role of 007 in early September. According to Page Six, the group includes Jack Barton, Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal, and Harris Dickinson.

Most of those names will feel familiar to anyone who’s followed the Bond rumor mill over the past several months. Turner has consistently been treated as one of the strongest contenders, while Lowden has picked up significant momentum more recently, with producer Richard Osman previously saying Lowden was being “strongly considered” for the role. Elordi, Mescal, and Dickinson round out the more established side of the shortlist, each bringing a different kind of leading-man profile to the table.

Elordi has built serious momentum in recent years through “Euphoria,” “Priscilla,” and “Saltburn,” while Mescal broke out with “Normal People” and earned an Oscar nomination for “Aftersun” before stepping into blockbuster territory with “Gladiator II.” Dickinson, meanwhile, has assembled an unusually eclectic résumé, spanning “Triangle of Sadness,” “The Iron Claw,” “Babygirl,” and Steve McQueen’s “Blitz,” giving him range that stretches from prestige drama to genre work.

The real surprise on the list is Jack Barton, a relative unknown who’s reportedly emerged as the frontrunner despite the star power surrounding him. Casting director Nina Gold is said to have found Barton while scouring the UK specifically for lesser-known talent to play the new 007, and insiders have apparently taken to calling him “The One.” Barton’s credits so far are modest, including a small role in “Poor Things” and appearances in British television projects like “SAS: Rogue Heroes” and “Heartstopper.”

That approach, elevating a relative unknown over more bankable names, would mark a notable departure for a franchise that’s traditionally leaned on recognizable faces for its leading man. It also lines up with prior reporting that Villeneuve and producers have been chasing a specific “prototype” for the role rather than simply defaulting to whichever star currently tops the betting odds.

Amazon has kept its usual tight-lipped stance throughout the process, declining to comment on the specific names involved and pointing back to its earlier statement that it won’t discuss casting details while the search is ongoing. That silence has only fueled more speculation, with betting markets continuing to shift week to week as new names surface and existing frontrunners gain or lose ground.

With actual screen tests now reportedly on the calendar for early September, the years-long guessing game may finally be entering its final stretch. Whether Barton’s status as an underdog favorite holds up once cameras start rolling, or one of the more established names pulls ahead during testing, should become clearer in the weeks ahead.