New Report Claims the Next James Bond Has Been Chosen

The search for the next 007 has dragged on for years, and few casting sagas in Hollywood attract this much scrutiny. Production on the next Bond film is expected to start in 2027, with a release planned for 2028. It will be the first Bond movie made since Amazon gained full control of the franchise.

The race has tightened considerably in recent weeks. An Oct. 23 report from Variety said final screen tests were expected to begin in late October, with Callum Turner and ‘Slow Horses’ star Jack Lowden among the actors in the mix. TheWrap also reported that Turner, Lowden and Josh O’Connor had received offers to join the final round of auditions, alongside an unidentified fourth actor.

Now a fresh claim has set the internet buzzing. ComicBook.com posted on X that Turner has reportedly been cast as the next James Bond, crediting the scoop to Showbiz411. Showbiz411’s Roger Friedman reported that word on the street is that Turner is the next Bond.

Friedman’s track record gives the claim some weight. He broke the news of Daniel Craig’s Bond casting more than 20 years ago. Still, it is worth stressing that this remains a report and not an official announcement.

The timing does line up with the buzz around the screen tests. Screen tests for the next Bond reportedly took place at Bray Studios in Berkshire over the Oct. 30 weekend, with Turner among the actors said to have auditioned. Kalshi’s next James Bond market has also moved, with Turner overtaking Lowden to lead at 45%, one point ahead of Lowden at 44%.

This is not the first time Turner has been tied to the role. Back in January, The Daily Mail reported that Turner was telling friends he had landed the part, though the outlet is a British tabloid and the claim deserved a heavy dose of skepticism. Last December, Turner had already become the bookmakers’ favorite, with Coral putting his odds at 7-4.

There has also been chatter about his off-screen life. According to The Sun, Turner recently stepped down as a director of Twentytwo Films Ltd., the production company he founded with his wife, Dua Lipa, in August 2025. Some outlets treated that as a sign he is clearing his schedule for the role.

That theory deserves a caveat. UK Companies House records show Turner resigned from the company on Dec. 10, 2025, nearly 11 months before the latest Bond reports, and there is no confirmed connection between his departure and the casting process. In other words, the timeline may not be as tidy as the gossip suggests.

On the career front, Turner has a résumé that fits the profile of a Bond candidate. The 36-year-old led ‘Masters of the Air’ and played Theseus Scamander in the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ movies. He also earned a BAFTA Television Award nomination in 2020 for his role as Shaun Emery in the BBC series ‘The Capture’.

He has also been careful not to feed the speculation. At the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, where he was promoting ‘Rosebush Pruning’, Turner declined to comment on the Bond question when a reporter raised it. That cautious approach has done little to quiet the rumor mill.

The competition has not exactly faded away either. Bookmakers still had Lowden as the favorite going into the weekend, with Turner right behind him, and O’Connor reportedly told a fan at London’s Almeida Theatre that he is not playing Bond. That leaves the contest looking closer than any single report might suggest.

For now, nothing is confirmed. Turner has not officially been cast as the next James Bond. Until Amazon MGM Studios and the producers say otherwise, the news remains a juicy rumor, but with screen tests reportedly finished, the wait for a real answer may be nearly over.