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The hunt for the next James Bond just got a lot more interesting, and the guy leading the pack isn’t who anyone expected.
Six actors are reportedly in contention for the role of 007 in Bond 26 (the next entry in the franchise, produced by Amazon MGM Studios), and they’re set to screen test for the part in early September. That’s according to Page Six, which broke the story on who made the final cut.
The names: Jack Barton, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal, Callum Turner, Jack Lowden, and Harris Dickinson.
Barton is the one nobody saw coming.
He’s also, according to sources close to the situation, the current frontrunner for the role, or at least he’s near the top of the list before Amazon starts testing some much bigger names in the group.
The JAMES BOND shortlist is here, with six actors reportedly set to screen-test in September to play the next 007 (via @PageSix)
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
Barton is 31 and, compared to the rest of the shortlist, relatively unknown to mainstream audiences. He had a small role in Poor Things and has also popped up in Steven Knight’s SAS: Rogue Heroes and Netflix’s Heartstopper. Not exactly a resume packed with blockbusters — but that might not matter much when it comes to Bond.
An Unknown Playing 007 Wouldn’t Be New
History says an unknown actor landing this role isn’t some wild longshot. Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton, and Daniel Craig were all relative unknowns when they were cast. George Lazenby topped all of them — he’d never acted professionally before he was handed the role in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
So if Barton ends up getting the part, he’d be following a pretty well-worn path.
The final call on who becomes the next Bond will reportedly come down to director Denis Villeneuve, longtime Eon Productions producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, and screenwriter Steven Knight. That’s a small but powerful room to walk into for a screen test.
Timing-wise, things are moving fast. An official casting decision looks likely before the end of the year, and Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three hits theaters this December — meaning he’ll have some availability once that film wraps its release cycle. Production on Bond 26 is expected to begin sometime next year, with the film likely landing in theaters in 2028 or 2029.
