An update on the casting for the next James Bond has emerged, with fans now one step closer to learning who the next 007 will be. The audition process for the coveted role began last month, with official word on who is going for the part under wraps for now.
However, Deadline reports that those actors who impressed the team the most have now been informed that they have made the next round of auditions, which are due to take place in August.
While the number isn’t exact, they suggest it could now be down to five to seven actors right now – though the figure could also be in the teens.
Universal
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It’s also being reported that casting director Nina Gold has met lesser known actors in the past few weeks who could join the roster of more prominent names – which chimes with previous reports that they could be looking for an unknown.
Either way, it looks like Daniel Craig’s successor may be in place by the end of the year, ahead of a 2027 shoot date for the next Bond movie and a planned 2028 release.
Amazon MGM took over creative control of the spy franchise last year, with Dune’s Denis Villeneuve confirmed as director for the 26th film alongside Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight as writer.
The latter recently gave an update on the movie’s progress, telling Deadline: “I can’t [say anything] apart from: It’s really, really good. It’s going incredibly well, we’ve got the best people. I can’t wait for people to see it!”
He added: “Everything is going fantastically.”
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Elsewhere, Idris Elba – who has long been linked to the role of Bond – recently suggested that producers “won’t go for a Black male” for the part.
“I’ve always felt that it’s not a realistic thing,” he told GQ. “James Bond was written how he was written for a reason. But I was complimented by it.
“And also, I think, in realistic terms, some markets just don’t go for that. Bond is big all over the world. And [audiences] won’t [all] go for a Black male, an African male, playing Bond. That’s not what they like in their culture. Period.”
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.