Reports of a major casting shake-up suggest the race for the role of James Bond is getting narrower, with a “clear favorite” said to have emerged in recent days.
Last week, it was reported that four actors — Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Josh O’Connor, and an unnamed additional actor — were about to embark on screen tests for the iconic role of 007, as the franchise’s new owner, AmazonMGM, looks for a replacement for Daniel Craig.
On October 28, Metro reported that Harris Dickinson (Babygirl, Triangle of Sadness) and Nicholas Hoult (The Menu, Mad Max: Fury Road) have been eliminated from the casting process — possibly due to Harris’ commitments to his role as John Lennon in The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, as well as Hoult’s role as supervillain Lex Luthor in the Superman franchise.
Other actors, including Jacob Elordi (Euphoria, Saltburn), Theo James (The Gentlemen, Divergent), James Norton (Happy Valley, House of the Dragon), and long-time fan-casting favorite Idris Elba (Luther, The Wire), are apparently no longer in the running for Bond.
According to fellow British publication LadBible, screen tests have been completed in recent days, with a “clear favorite” emerging from the auditions, where actors “had to impress with stunts, their camera presence and dialogue.”
Bookmaking giant Ladbrokes has given Lowden an 8/11 lead on becoming Bond, while Turner sits in second place, with 2/1 odds. O’Connor, with odds of 8/1, is considerably behind in the race.
“The Bond race looks to be reaching crunch time and punters are firmly backing Jack Lowden to get the call,” Ladbrokes’ Nicola McGeady told The Sun, confirming the Slow Horses star as the rumored favorite to take over from Craig, who left the role following the last James Bond film, No Time to Die (2021).
“[Lowden]’s already odds-on and the latest speculation has only fuelled support for him, with Callum Turner looking like his biggest threat.”
