Josh O'Connor reportedly named as next James Bond, Amazon has not confirmed

The Sun's report

The Sun reports that Josh O'Connor, a 36-year-old English actor, has been chosen to play James Bond, beating the front-runners Jack Lowden and Callum Turner to succeed Daniel Craig. The claim rests on an anonymous source, and no official confirmation has been issued. According to the tabloid, O'Connor told cast members at a pub celebration after the final performance of Golden Boy at the Almeida Theatre in London that he had got the part. A member of the cast later passed the news to a Sun source after a few drinks, the paper says. Earlier, when asked about the succession rumours at the opening of the Everyman Theatre's new educational and community centre in Cheltenham, his home town in Gloucestershire, O'Connor called being considered for the role extraordinary and an incredible moment. He said the situation felt incredibly surreal and that he had nothing further to add.

Other names in the race

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety report that Robert Pattinson, 40, and Nicholas Hoult, 36, also auditioned for the part. The tests took place on the weekend of 24 October under the supervision of Denis Villeneuve, who is directing the next film. According to the same reports, Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O'Connor were also tested. Variety adds that Theo James, 41, has not been ruled out and reports a meeting with Harry Styles. Pattinson is currently shooting The Batman Part II in London, where the tests were reportedly held, and worked with Villeneuve on Dune: Part Three, due on 18 December. Hoult plays Lex Luthor in DC's Superman films and was the second choice for Batman behind Pattinson. Pierce Brosnan reportedly backed Turner, while Gary Oldman backed Lowden.

Amazon's production

The film would be the first Bond under Amazon, which acquired the creative rights from the Broccoli family in February 2025. Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing, and Steven Knight is writing the screenplay. Amazon has not commented on the casting. La Stampa describes the project as the 26th film in the series. Rai notes that 21 years have passed since Craig was chosen in October 2005. Craig played Bond from Casino Royale in 2006 to No Time To Die in 2021.

Who O'Connor is

O'Connor was born in Southampton, grew up in Cheltenham and trained at the Old Vic theatre school in Bristol. He is best known for playing King Charles III in The Crown, a role that earned him a BAFTA nomination according to ANSA. Il Giornale reports that the same role brought him a Golden Globe and an Emmy. His film work includes Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino in 2024, and Emma, and in 2025 he appeared alongside Craig in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. ANSA and Tgcom24 also report that in 2025 he signed an appeal with other film figures accusing Israel of genocide and apartheid against Palestinians, pledging not to work for Israeli institutions. Reports describe him as a self-declared republican.