Mr Bond will see you now – well, almost. Reports have indicated that the final four James Bond hopefuls will screen test for Amazon across the next week.
According to Deadline, screen tests could take place as early as Friday and carry into next week.
When the public will learn who had the winning auction is still up in the air, but an announcement by Amazon MGM Studios is expected before the end of the year.
Casting speculation has certainly gone into overdrive since Nina Gold was unveiled as the Bond casting director back in the spring – but who are the final four?
Actors screen-testing for Bond
Three names are known to be screen-testing for the role of James Bond.
Those actors are Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor.
Turner, 36, who is wedded to global pop star Dua Lipa, has appeared in romantic flicks like One Night Only and Eternity in recent times.
His other credits include Masters of the Air, Rosebush Pruning and Rose of Nevada.
Scotsman Lowden, 36, is best known for his role as MI5’s Slough House team member River Cartwright in the exemplary Slow Horses on Apple TV.
Hotly-tipped favourite
Gold cast the Slow Horses series and Lowden has thus become the hotly tipped Bond favourite.
He’s set to appear as Mr Darcy in Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
O’Connor, also 36, has quickly established himself as one of the finest young English actors working today.
From an investigative priest in Wake up Dead Man to a fiery tennis player in Challengers, O’Connor is a chameleon-like presence who delights cinema audiences.
He hasn’t taken on a role like Bond before, but that might be in his favour as a new approach to the legendary character could work.
All three of these candidates bring suave, charm, humour and confidence to their acting craft, and each in their own right could be a great James Bond.
Mystery man
But what of the mysterious screen tester number four?
The unknown choice could well be the one we all end up finding out is the right choice for Amazon’s new Agent 007.
After all, what better way to cover one’s tracks than to put several well-known names into the rumour mill to divert attention.
Amazon’s first James Bond film as creative custodians of the legendary franchise has been written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and will be directed by Denis Villeneuve of Dune and Prisoners fame.
Amy Pascal and David Heyman lead the producing efforts.
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