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The six finalists to be the next James Bond has been confirmed
The search for the next James Bond is entering its final stretch and the frontrunner is not who anyone expected. According to reports, the search for the next 007 is down to its last six finalists.
According to reports, the following six actors have been confirmed as finalists for Bond 26 (the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios-produced Bond will be the 26th film in the franchise) and are set to screen test for the role in early September.
The six finalists to play the next James Bond have been confirmed and an unknown actor is reportedly the frontrunner
Page Six has reported that Jack Barton, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal, Callum Turner, Jack Lowden, and Harris Dickinson, with Barton — the biggest unknown of the group — being described as the frontrunner.
The decision on who the next James Bond will be will reportedly involve director Denis Villeneuve, Eon Productions producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, and screenwriter Steven Knight.
The JAMES BOND shortlist is here, with six actors reportedly set to screen-test in September to play the next 007 (via @PageSix)
Jack Barton, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal, Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Harris Dickinsonhttps://t.co/RgwsClsM3z pic.twitter.com/GrEevlWZpw
— Reel Updates (@worldofreel) August 26, 2026
The 31-year-old Barton — who had a small role in Poor Things while also appearing in projects such as Steven Knight’s SAS: Rogue Heroes and Netflix’s Heartstopper — has been described by sources as the favorite for the role, “or at least the one who sits atop the James Bond heap before Amazon gets to testing a small group of much better known leading men.”
It certainly wouldn’t be the first time the James Bond franchise has opted for an unknown actor, as Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton, and Daniel Craig were all relatively unknown actors at the time they were cast, while George Lazenby had literally never acted prior to landing the role of 007 in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
With an official casting decision looking likely before the end of the year and director Denis Villeneuve’s new film Dune: Part Three hitting theaters in December, production on Bond 26 will likely begin next year ahead of a 2028 or 2029 release.