Turner, O’Connor and Lowden linked to final Bond auditions

The search for Daniel Craig’s successor as James Bond is reportedly approaching its final stages, with Callum Turner, Josh O’Connor and Jack Lowden among the actors linked to screen tests.

Hollywood publication Deadline reported that they had all received offers to test for the role, with the three named among those expected to participate.

The reports do not amount to an official casting announcement.

Lowden, known for the espionage series Slow Horses, joins Fantastic Beasts actor Turner and The Crown star O’Connor in the latest round of speculation over who will inherit cinema’s most famous secret-agent role.

Being able to perform some of your own stunts is only one requirement for any actor hoping to become the next 007.

Casting director Debbie McWilliams has said the first essential is that the performer must be “a brilliant actor”, capable of carrying both the role and the enormous attention that comes with the world's most popular spy.

The final candidates undergo a screen test and a stunt assessment, with producers, the studio and the director ultimately making the decision. McWilliams said the actor must be physically capable and highly fit, but should also be able to blend into a crowd rather than look like an obvious action hero.

She has also stressed the need for “gravitas”, maturity and the mental capacity to shoulder the responsibility of the franchise. In short, the next Bond must combine acting ability, physical credibility, charisma and the presence of a seasoned secret agent.

Whoever secures the part will follow Craig, whose five-film tenure began with Casino Royale in 2006 and ended with No Time to Die in 2021.

For now, the reported auditions suggest that the selection process is advancing, while the identity of the next 007 remains unconfirmed.

Sources: Deadline, 22 October; RTÉ, 23 October; Press Association, 23 October.