Amazon MGM Studios has several familiar faces in the frame as it searches for the next James Bond, but a new report has added an unexpected name to the conversation.
Several names have emerged as the Bond franchise prepares for its next chapter under Amazon MGM. The upcoming movie, widely referred to as Bond 26, will be directed by Denis Villeneuve (the Dune films) and written by Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, while producers Amy Pascal (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) and David Heyman (the Harry Potter films) are overseeing the project.
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Now, The Hollywood Reporter says actor Robert Pattinson has screen-tested for the role, putting the former Twilight star among the reported candidates to take over from Daniel Craig. Craig’s five-film run ended with No Time to Die (2021), and the next installment will introduce a new actor as the legendary British spy.
According to the report, Nicholas Hoult, who played Lex Luthor in 2025’s Superman, has also reportedly screen-tested.
Pattinson and Hoult would hardly be the only contenders with a major franchise connection, though. Callum Turner, who appeared in the Fantastic Beasts series, Jack Lowden, best known for Slow Horses, and Josh O’Connor, whose credits include Disclosure Day, have also been linked to the search.
Producer Amy Pascal offered a possible window for the casting news during an interview with Deadline in August, saying “the end of the year is a good bet” for finding out who will play 007. She also suggested the new version of the character needs to feel “really different” and exciting.
Meanwhile, Pattinson has another high-profile project on the way before Bond 26 moves forward. He will appear in Dune: Part Three this December, also directed by Villeneuve, and he’s currently filming The Batman Part II, with Steven Soderbergh now helping complete principal photography while director Matt Reeves deals with a family matter. Reeves, however, remains in charge of the film.
Amazon MGM has not confirmed any casting choice and declined to comment on the reported screen tests. The next 007 is still anyone’s guess.
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