Amazon MGM Studios Launches Search for Next James Bond as Auditions Begin

Amazon MGM Studios announced Monday that the search for the next James Bond has begun, marking the start of casting to replace Daniel Craig as 007.

"The search for the next James Bond is under way," the studio said in a statement.

Auditions have taken place in recent weeks, Variety reported. The announcement comes five years after the release of No Time to Die, Craig's final outing as the spy, and 15 months after Amazon MGM Studios gained control of the Bond franchise.

"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," the studio added.

The studio already named Denis Villeneuve, director of Dune, to helm the next film. Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, will write the script.

Variety said Nina Gold, a top casting director behind Paddington, Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Mamma Mia!, is handling the search for the new lead.

Bookmakers list these actors as favorites:

Callum Turner, 36, tops the odds. He appeared in Fantastic Beasts, earned a Bafta nomination for the TV drama The Capture and starred in Apple TV's Masters of the Air. He dates Dua Lipa.

Jacob Elordi, 28, from Australia, rose to fame in Euphoria and Saltburn. He drew an Oscar nomination this year for Frankenstein and sits in pole position, according to sources cited by Marina Hyde of The Rest Is Entertainment.

Harris Dickinson, 29, will play John Lennon in upcoming Beatles biopics. His credits include Maleficent, The King's Man, Where the Crawdads Sing, Babygirl and a Bafta TV nomination for A Murder at the End of the World.

Henry Cavill, 43, known for Superman, The Witcher and Mission: Impossible, remains a fan favorite. Many saw him as runner-up when Craig got the role, though his age raises questions for a long run as 007.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 35 and Bafta-nominated, featured in Kick-Ass, Kraven the Hunter and 28 Years Later.

Theo James, 41, gained notice in Divergent, then built his profile in The Time Traveler's Wife, The White Lotus and The Gentlemen.

Producers could also pick from other names in contention or an unknown actor.