After years of rumors, Amazon MGM Studios is finally ready to move James Bond forward. The studio officially confirmed to Variety that the search for the new 007 has already begun: auditions have been ongoing for the past few weeks, and details will be shared later, when "the time is right."
Casting is handled by Nina Gold – one of the industry's most renowned specialists. She cast actors for "Game of Thrones," "The Crown," and "Andor," and also approved Daisy Ridley for the role of Rey in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy. Gold recently received an Oscar nomination for casting the film "Hamnet: The Story That Inspired 'Hamlet'."
In an interview with Deadline, Gold agreed that the new Bond must be young enough to star in at least three or four films, possess acting talent, and "ooze sex appeal," but she did not name any potential candidates.
Various sources mention Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Callum Turner, and Harris Dickinson, but none of these names have been officially confirmed yet.
Meanwhile, Variety reports that one of the first known actors to audition was Tom Francis – a theater actor who recently received a Tony Award nomination for his role in the new production of Sunset Boulevard.
The next film will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, the creator of "Dune," "Blade Runner 2049," and "Arrival." The screenplay is written by Steven Knight, the creator of "Peaky Blinders." Amy Pascal and David Heyman will serve as producers, and Tanya Lapointe will be the executive producer.