The search for the next James Bond is down to the wire, and Callum Turner has just nosed back in front. After a week of reported final screen tests in London, prediction market Kalshi has Turner at 45 per cent to land the role, a single point ahead of Slow Horses star Jack Lowden.
Josh O’Connor sits a distant third at 20 per cent. Amazon MGM Studios, which took full creative control of the franchise last year, still hasn’t confirmed a single name, and the race has been dominating UK coverage, including in The Independent.
The shortlist firmed up last month. Deadline reported that at least four actors had been offered screen tests, with Lowden, Turner and O’Connor named as three of them, and the identity of the fourth candidate still hasn’t leaked.
The tests were expected to start on Friday 23 October and run through the following week, with casting director Nina Gold running the process. Variety reports the expectation is that Amazon will name its new 007 before the end of the year, which lines up with producer Amy Pascal’s earlier suggestion that the end of 2026 was a good bet.
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Turner, best known for Masters of the Air, The Boys in the Boat and the Fantastic Beasts films, has been the bookies’ favourite on and off since late last year. He has refused to comment on whether he even wants the job, though George Clooney, who directed him in The Boys in the Boat, told The Hollywood Reporter he hopes Turner gets it.
He also comes with a ready-made theme song rumour, with partner Dua Lipa repeatedly tipped by the British press to sing it. None of that has been confirmed, but Amazon’s marketing department presumably hasn’t missed it either.
Lowden’s case is built on playing a spy already. He’s River Cartwright in Slow Horses, and his stock jumped when co-star Gary Oldman appeared to suggest the Scot had made the shortlist.
The team behind the camera is locked in. Dune director Denis Villeneuve is directing from a script by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, with Pascal and David Heyman producing, and Euronews has reported that filming is expected to begin in 2027 ahead of a 2028 release.
Whoever gets the call inherits more than the tuxedo. Omega has been on Bond’s wrist since GoldenEye in 1995, and the new 007 will instantly become one of the most valuable watch ambassadors in the world, so expect Bienne to be watching this announcement as closely as anyone.
If you need a refresher before the reveal, here’s every watch James Bond has worn on screen, from Dr. No to No Time To Die.
