‘Bond 26’: Tom Francis Has Auditioned To Play 007 For Denis Villeneuve’s James Bond Reboot

Well, this week marked an odd but official announcement from Amazon MGM Studios that they have indeed started a casting search for the next young actor to play the new James Bond in Denis Villeneuve‘s “Bond 26” (placeholder before a real title is named, usually just before production kicks off) that has a script being penned by Steven Knight of “Peaky Blinders” fame.

And with that, we know possibly why it was made at all. It looks like the first of many actors auditioning for the big part will include a relatively “new” name, Tom Francis, as mentioned in a report from Variety. They recap previously unconfirmed names such as Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Callum Turner alongside “Shogun” actor Cosmo Jarvis, who “could” be in the mix. However, Francis is the only one who has actually auditioned, and is likely best known for the stage adaptation of “Sunset Boulevard,” the Netflix serial killer series “You,” having a minor part in Noah Baumbach‘s “Jay Kelly,” and wrapping on the Peter Berg movie “The Misquito Bowl.”

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Another tidbit is that “Game of Thrones” casting director Nina Gold has been confirmed for the casting search, who will work with Villeneuve, newly minted franchise producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman to find their star.

Nothing says that Francis (26) is a complete lock for the role, as we expect that many more names will be streaming through the “Bond 26” production offices, but it gives the impression that MASSIVE named talent (at the heart of many unsubstantiated “Bond 26” casting rumors over the years) won’t be the only folks walking through that door to audition, thankfully. Alongside the new video game “007 First Light,” we may end up seeing a rookie take on the dashing spy.

All that said, we still don’t have a concrete production timeline (Villeneuve is expected to be on-hand for the promotional roll out of “Dune: Part Three” later this year) or tentative release date for “Bond 26,” so strap in because it looks like things have ACTUALLY started to heat up here, and we suspect folks over the age of 40 won’t be in the mix (sorry in advance to the Henry Cavill, Idris Elba, and Michael Fassbender fans), if a 26-year-old stage actor is the first one they’re looking at.

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Stay tuned as we’ll be keeping an eye on the casting process and are excited to learn who is ultimately selected to play the next iteration of beloved MI6 Agent for Villeneuve/Amazon.

Statement from Amazon MGM Studios:
“The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.” pic.twitter.com/2RLm8fITWQ

— Amazon MGM Studios (@AmazonMGMStudio) May 14, 2026