Unknown British actor emerges as top candidate for new James Bond, screen tests slated for September

Director Denis Villeneuve and casting director Nina Gold have been reviewing a pool of largely unknown British actors for the next James Bond, according to industry sources. Among the candidates, actor Jack Barton – who appeared in the film “Poor Things” and has credits on the BBC series “SAS: Rogue Heroes” and Netflix’s “Heartstopper” – is reported to be the frontrunner.

Screen tests for the role are expected to start in early September and will include a shortlist of actors such as Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal and Harris Dickinson. Former Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams, who previously selected Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, said the franchise should continue to cast a newcomer to preserve the character’s mystery. > “It is absolutely essential that [Bond] retains a total enigma. I don’t want to see any of [the rumored stars] as Bond because we now know so much about them. We want to know as little about them personally as possible, because that’s what spies are,” she told The Independent.

Barton, a graduate of the Oxford School of Drama, is represented by the agency that handled Craig’s public relations in the UK. Amazon, the studio behind the upcoming film, declined to comment on the casting process, referring to a May statement that said the search for the next Bond is underway and that further announcements will be made when appropriate.