The James Bond shortlist includes: Jacob Elordi, Callum Turner & Harris Dickinson

Amazon MGM Studios is trying to make James Bond serious. Last year, Jeff Bezos reportedly shelled out $1 billion to secure the 007 IP with no strings attached. Since then, the Amazon team has been slowly trying to put together the first James Bond film after the Broccoli family. They have a director attached (Denis Villeneuve), but as far as I know, they don’t have a script, nor do they have a new James Bond. Well, Deadline has a big update on how the casting situation is going. August is going to be a big month as they narrow down a 007 shortlist. So far, the shortlist already includes Jacob Elordi and Callum Turner, who we already knew. But this is the first I’m hearing of Harris Dickinson seriously being in the mix?

Fans of the James Bond franchise are getting closer to finding out who will next play the iconic spy in future installments. Sources tell Deadline that producer and director Denis Villeneuve has begun informing talent who have made the next round of auditions, which will take place later this summer. Villeneuve has been calling talent directly, and while Deadline has not been able to confirm any names at this time, sources say auditions are set to take place in August. Amazon MGM Studios, which is distributing and producing the picture, had no comment.

As for how many actors will test in August, while one source says they expect the producers to cast a wide net, the exact number of actors is unknown, with some sources saying between 5-7, while others said in the teens.

General Assemblies has been busy with talent dating back to when Amy Pascal and David Heyman were tapped as producers in the spring of 2025. Nina Gold, who closed a deal in April to be casting director on the film, has been meeting with actors for the past few weeks, but sources say those meetings were for lesser-known names to see if anyone should be added to the list of prominent actors expected to be added to the next round.

With those auditions complete, insiders say Villeneuve and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman have begun contacting actors over the past week to inform them of auditions in August. Actors such as Harris Dickinson, Callum Turner and Jacob Elordi fit the prototype of who the producers are looking for in this next round of auditions, but again no names have been confirmed at this time.

While it still feels like we’re a long way from finding out who will play 007, the timing fits with the studio having their actor by the end of the year, so production could begin some time in 2027.

Since landing full creative control of the franchise this year, Amazon MGM has been thorough in its search for the behind-the-scenes talent that will oversee the development of this next picture in the series. Pascal and Heyman had to be brought on board first, and after meeting with a number of directors, the studio chose Villeneuve to direct. The same steps were also taken before Steven Knight was tapped last summer to write the script, and since then the focus has been on getting the story in the right place before the actors audition to play the part.

(From Deadline)

While I have little faith in this given Amazon’s involvement, I will give them credit for really taking their time, developing the script, hiring competent and knowledgeable people, and refusing to rush. It seems some people have learned what NOT to do from watching Disney screw up the Star Wars movies after George Lucas. We’ll see. As for the Bond casting calls… are they keeping anyone from the previous films? Ralph Fiennes would still be welcome as M and I loved Ben Whishaw as Q. Are they being replaced too? Hmm. I also find Harris Dickinson’s inclusion fascinating. I’m a big fan and I think he’s an underrated actor. Maybe he’s too realistic as a spy? I’m pretty sure he’s probably what a real field cop would look like – a little bit sleazy/seductive, able to blend in, with a jolie-laide quality. All that said, he’d be an interesting choice, but I doubt he’ll be cast.

Images courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.