Amazon MGM is sending out test deals for the next Bond, and Puck says every leaked shortlist is bogus
Bond-watchers, assemble: a new report reckons we have a window for when the next 007 will be named — specific enough to set pulses racing.
We’re now five years out from Daniel Craig’s farewell as Bond – and, for the record, his onscreen death in No Time to Die genuinely stunned everyone, even by Bond standards. Since then, the casting chat has been relentless, especially here in the UK, where every betting shop has run wild with their own odds. But the saga’s had a significant shakeup behind the camera too, after Amazon forked over a not-so-small $8.5 billion for MGM and, along with it, the Bond keys. Now it’s Denis Villeneuve, he of Dune and Blade Runner 2049, in the director’s chair, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight writing a supposed blank-slate reboot.
The list of so-called frontrunners has been laughably long: Jacob Elordi, Callum Turner, Jack Lowden, and, more recently, Heartstopper's Jack Barton. Keeping track of who’s “next in line” is nearly as pointless as counting the number of ridiculous gadgets Q turns out each film. But things may have gotten a bit more real, if the latest industry report is anything to go by.
Matthew Belloni at Puck called most of the “leaked” Bond shortlists “bogus”, insisting: "Anyone who says they know who Bond is now … doesn’t."
According to Belloni’s report, Amazon MGM is in the process of sending out test deals to actors who are genuinely in the running. Now, to clear up what that actually means: it isn’t just a cup of tea and an audition – a test deal is essentially a pre-signed contract covering salary, exclusivity, and (crucially, with Bond) how many films they’re signing on for. The studio locks all this in before the actor tries out, so if they like what they see, the announcement can come through instantly without painful contract wrangling. Hollywood’s used this for ages to keep actors from holding the studio to ransom once they’ve landed the big role.
The reported test deal activity lines up with something producer Amy Pascal let slip to Deadline last month – she called a casting announcement by year’s end “a good bet.”
So, while these test deals don’t mean we’ve got our next Bond sorted, they do confirm the rumour mill is finally grinding its way into something tangible. From here, proper screen tests with Villeneuve could happen later on this autumn. And if that’s the case, we could be hearing a proper announcement not long after.
As for what kind of James Bond they’re after, all signs point toward a younger lead this go-round. The idea seems to be finding someone who can stick with the franchise for several films, not just a couple of runs round the block. Both Villeneuve and Knight have made noises about a creative overhaul: Villeneuve considers Bond "sacred territory" and Knight is apparently in favour of a more grounded, up-to-date 007 for this reset. Fair to say, whoever gets it, the entire vibe is being steered in a different direction.
There’s still no official release date in sight – and with Villeneuve committed to finishing Dune: Part Three first, don’t bank on seeing the new Bond in cinemas before 2028 at the earliest.
Test deals for the next James Bond went out in 2026, breaking the franchise's long post-Craig silence.