The next James Bond may be Josh O’Connor, according to an anonymous account of a conversation with one of his former castmates after several drinks. It is a wonderfully informal way to announce one of cinema’s most valuable roles. It is also unsupported by verified evidence.
Amazon MGM has made no official casting announcement, and its latest public position is that individual candidates will not be discussed. More established reporting indicates that the audition process remains active, with several actors still under consideration.
For now, O’Connor is firmly in the race. Whether he has crossed the finish line is another matter.
Why is Josh O’Connor being linked to Bond?
The claim began at The French House in London, where an unnamed source reportedly met a cast member from Golden Boy, the 2019 stage production featuring O’Connor.
According to The Sun, the cast member was recognised by customers and began chatting with the source. After “a few glasses of lager”, they allegedly said O’Connor had secured the role.
The source recalled: “I said it was pure speculation but they were insistent it was Josh.”
The unidentified actor supposedly said O’Connor had confided in the Golden Boy cast about landing Bond. The group had reportedly gathered for celebratory drinks after the play finished on Halloween.
Page Six and other outlets repeated the story, but none independently verified its central claim. The account remains anonymous, second-hand and alcohol-assisted, which is not usually the preferred documentation for a major studio contract.
O’Connor has addressed the broader speculation without confirming anything. Speaking to the BBC, he called the attention an “incredibly bizarre pinch me moment”, then added: “There is nothing to say beyond that.”
What do the casting reports actually say?
Variety reported on October 23 that final screen tests were still being arranged, with Callum Turner and Jack Lowden among the actors in contention. At that stage, there was no confirmed timetable for an announcement.
Later reporting placed O’Connor among several performers who had been offered tests or were taking part in them. That supports his status as a serious candidate, but not the claim that he has signed on as 007.
Amazon MGM began auditions in spring 2026 and appointed casting director Nina Gold to oversee the search. Her credits include Game of Thrones, The Crown and the Star Wars films, so the studio has not delegated the decision to whoever happens to be nearest the bar.
Comments from screenwriter Steven Knight had already encouraged speculation that a choice might have been made. Gary Oldman then caused another burst of excitement after appearing to suggest the new Bond had been selected. He later clarified that he did not know who had been cast.
In short, the public evidence still describes a multi-candidate audition process. The pub version describes a completed decision. Only one of those accounts comes with named industry reporting.
Who else could become the new 007?
Callum Turner and Jack Lowden remain prominent contenders. Both have received public support, although endorsements are not the same as access to Amazon MGM’s contracts department.
Pierce Brosnan, who played Bond in four films between 1995 and 2002, described Turner as “so strong”. He also stressed that he had no knowledge of the studio’s decision.
Oldman backed his Slow Horses co-star Lowden, prompting British GQ to ask the Scottish actor about the growing campaign around him. Lowden responded: “Oh, Christ…” before offering a carefully limited answer.
“It’s all very flattering. It’s nice to be mentioned, for any role, and I’m just not really going to add to the noise,” he said. “It’s very nice, and Gary’s a sweetheart. It’s particularly lovely, coming from someone like him. But I don’t really listen to it.”
O’Connor, meanwhile, has built a strong case through performances in God’s Own Country, Challengers and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. He also won an Emmy for playing Prince Charles in The Crown.
Former Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams has suggested the eventual choice should be “completely out of the blue” rather than a celebrity whose candidacy has already been extensively covered. If Amazon follows that approach, the current favourites may simply be occupying everyone while the real candidate auditions more quietly.
What is confirmed about Bond 26?
The 26th official Bond film will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, whose credits include Dune, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, has completed a first draft of the screenplay.
Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing. The film will be the first developed under Amazon MGM’s creative control after Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson reached an agreement with the company in 2025.
That change matters. Broccoli and Wilson had long controlled the franchise’s major creative decisions, including casting. Amazon MGM now has the authority to shape Bond’s next era, with all the scrutiny that comes from replacing Daniel Craig.
Craig starred in five films, beginning with Casino Royale in 2006 and ending with No Time to Die in 2021. His departure opened a search that has generated years of rumours involving actors from Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Idris Elba, often with more enthusiasm than evidence.
One familiar face will not return. Ben Whishaw, who played Q in three Craig-era films, told The Sunday Times that he was not involved in the next instalment.
“The world has changed so much since the last Bond film, so you have to find what is relevant about it,” Whishaw said. “I think it needs to be reinvented completely. But it’s not for me to say.”
When will Amazon MGM announce the new Bond?
No verified announcement date has been set. Reports that confirmation is imminent remain speculation unless Amazon MGM says otherwise.
O’Connor may ultimately receive the tuxedo, the car and the unusually hazardous employment package. The available reporting shows that he has at least been considered seriously. It does not establish that the role is his.
Until the studio makes its decision public, the Bond race remains open. A confident statement in a London pub can travel quickly, especially when it tells people what they want to know. It still cannot substitute for an official casting announcement.
