The search for the next actor to get the “Licence to Kill” may soon be coming to a close.
Reports from Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter suggest Amazon MGM is on the cusp of determining who will be the next actor to fill the role of the iconic British spy, James Bond.
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Both outlets say Amazon MGM — the new owner of the Bond franchise since the Broccoli family sold the rights in 2024 — is screen-testing three or four finalists for the role this week, with a final decision expected to be made as soon as this weekend.
Multiple inside sources say the top three finalists are Callum Turner, Josh O’Connor, and Jack Lowden. Turner most recently starred in the romantic comedy “One Night Only,” which hit theaters this past August.
O’Connor is best known for his role as the young Prince Charles in Netflix’s hit series “The Crown,” playing the future monarch for two seasons. O’Connor also starred in 2025’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” alongside former 007 actor Daniel Craig.
Lowden has a slew of credits to his name, including as a Spitfire pilot in Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” as well as a disgraced MI5 agent in Apple TV’s “Slow Horses.”
A fourth finalist is also believed to be screen-testing this week, but their identity is not known at this time. “Sinners” actor Jack O’Connell and “Euphoria” star Jacob Elordi were also in contention at one point, but both actors are considered to be out of the running.
It is unknown when the identity of the next actor to portray the legendary MI6 agent will be officially revealed, but history can give us some clues.
Daniel Craig was revealed to be taking over the role from Pierce Brosnan on Oct. 14, 2005, not long after his final screen test for the role in late September 2005, so an official reveal for the next actor could come as soon as early next week.
The next James Bond movie will come with some baggage. It will likely mark the longest time between releases of Bond movies since the six-year gap between 1989’s “Licence to Kill” and 1995’s “GoldenEye.” It will also have to be a soft reboot for the series, given Craig’s last turn in the role, 2021’s “No Time to Die,” ended on a definitive and somewhat controversial note for the character.
The next entry in the long-running franchise will be helmed by “Blade Runner 2049” and “Sicario” director Denis Villeneuve, who will be wrapping up his sci-fi epic “Dune” trilogy in December with the release of “Dune: Part Three.”