Amazon MGM Studios has officially begun auditioning actors to play the next James Bond. According to Variety and Entertainment Weekly, casting director Nina Gold is spearheading the search for the next 007 to replace Daniel Craig as Ian Fleming's suave super-spy.
Gold's past credits include casting work on Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Martian, Paddington, Prometheus, and Conclave.
"The search for the next James Bond is underway," Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement. "While we don't plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we're excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
From Dune to Bond
Last summer, Amazon MGM Studios announced that Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve will direct the 26th Bond movie – the first in over two decades to not star Craig, who played 007 five times.
"Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery," Villeneuve said in a statement at the time. "I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honour."
"James Bond is in the hands of one of today's greatest filmmakers," added Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios.
'It's a New Bond, a New Start, a Fresh Everything'
After producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman purchased the rights to Fleming's novels in 1961, 25 films were made that followed the British spy. The character was played by Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, David Niven, George Lazenby, and Craig.
Last year, Cubby's children, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, sold their stake in the franchise to Amazon MGM, relinquishing all creative control.
"My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli," Barbara said at the time. "I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects."
With Timothee Chalamet, Glen Powell, Austin Butler, Jacob Elordi, Callum Turner, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson among the names being bandied about to play the next Bond, reports surfaced last fall that Villeneuve was looking for a "fresh face" to take over as the secret agent.
Sources told Deadline that producers were looking for "an unknown." Whoever is cast will likely have to be able to age into the character over the next 10 to 15 years.
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, who is also the screenwriter behind Kristen Stewart's Princess Diana biopic Spencer, is writing the script.
According to Deadline, the story will focus on Bond's beginnings as a Royal Navy Commander before being recruited by MI6 (Craig's protagonist was killed off at the end of 2021's No Time to Die).
"It's a new Bond, a new start, a fresh everything," a source told the outlet.
No timeline exists on when the film will start shooting, but Villeneuve is putting the final touches on Dune 3 – due out later this year – before he gets behind the camera, likely sometime in 2027.
"Every name you've heard of, and many you've never heard of," an insider said of the actors who are being considered. "We've been flooded. But understand that the casting process has not begun and it won't until Denis finishes the Dune movie."
True Detective helmer Cary Fukunaga directed No Time to Die from a script that he co-wrote along with the veteran Bond team of Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, and Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Speaking to Postmedia in 2021, Fukunaga said Craig's appeal came down to his "star quality."
"He has a presence you want to watch. He was a particularly charismatic and captivating Bond," he said.
Fukunaga also credited Craig for helping keep 007 relevant for a newer generation of moviegoers.
"I think Daniel was a big part of it surviving the last 15 years and even growing the character's fan base because of what he brought to it. He definitely brought me in as a contemporary fan. I was a fan as a kid, but not on the same level. That groundedness and grittiness was an important step," Fukunaga said.
He went on to add that whoever gets the job as the next Bond will have "some very big shoes to fill."
"I think it's going to be a tricky decision. There's a lot of scrutiny over it, and we're all aware of that. I just feel lucky I don't have to make that decision," Fukunaga said.
Last month at CinemaCon, Courtenay Valenti, Amazon MGM's head of film, said the studio was going to be very thorough in its search.
"It is the dream of a lifetime for all of us to bring audiences this next chapter, and it's a responsibility we don't take lightly," Valenti said (per Variety). "What I can tell you is this: When you pair one of the most beloved franchises in history with a world-class film-making team, including the brilliant director Denis Villeneuve, extraordinary producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, executive producer Tanya Lapointe and screenwriter Steven Knight, you're setting the stage for something that's truly worthy of the Bond legacy."
"That film is coming, and when the time is right, we'll have much more to share," Valenti added.
