Screen tests for the next James Bond come in August. No search has run this long.

What happened

The search for the next James Bond has entered a decisive stage, with auditions moving to a next round in August and casting director Nina Gold meeting actors for weeks.

Amazon MGM Studios has started auditions for the next James Bond. Nina Gold, who cast Game of Thrones, signed her deal in April and leads the search. She has spent weeks meeting less famous actors, to see if any of them belong next to the better-known names expected later. Director Denis Villeneuve has been calling actors himself.

Auditions move to a next round in August. Film industry papers all describe the same actor: British, not well known, in his late twenties or early thirties. The films will start the story again, separate from the Daniel Craig films.

Amazon MGM has not hurried. In May the studio said it was taking its time to do this with care and deep respect. Producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman and writer Steven Knight are in place. Film industry papers expect a name by the end of 2026. That would end the longest time without a named Bond since the character first reached the screen.

Sources: Deadline, Variety (2)

The Pattern

Every change of Bond actor has gone the same way. The old Bond leaves, and after a search full of leaks the studio names the new one. What changes is the time in between. It has ranged from two months to nearly two years. This search has already run far longer.

The Read

History and the studio both point away from an early name. Screen tests are planned for August, inside this market’s window, so no choice can exist before they happen. Amazon MGM has said it is taking its time, and it hired its casting director only in April. Its marketing team will also want to own the moment of the reveal. Confirming a leak in the middle of summer does not suit that. Eight per cent for a yes may still be too high.

The risk is a leak. Bond casting is the story British entertainment reporters chase hardest, and screen tests with well-known actors at large film studios are hard to keep secret. In 2005 Daniel Craig’s name was public in all but name before the official launch on a river boat. If the August tests produce a clear winner and the name gets out, Amazon MGM may have to confirm early to control the story. That is the one way this market ends in a yes inside the window.