New James Bond Decision Expected Before Thanksgiving — Five Names Left in the Race
The wait for the next 007 may be almost over — and it could end a lot sooner than anyone expected.
Deadline’s Justin Kroll posted Saturday (Nov. 7) on X: “Expect a decision before thanksgiving” — Thanksgiving falls Thursday, Nov. 26. That is a much tighter timeline than producer Amy Pascal’s earlier “end of 2026” expectation, and it means the biggest casting announcement in years could land within weeks.
The final five
Five names are left in the race. Robert Pattinson, Nicholas Hoult, Callum Turner and Jack Lowden — the final four screen-testers — plus Josh O’Connor as an 11th-hour addition.
Kroll clarified Hoult and Pattinson were always in the final four even though they were the last names reported. Screen tests took place in London in late October.
A new era for Bond
Denis Villeneuve directs from a Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) script, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing. It will be the first Bond film under Amazon MGM creative control. Production is reportedly set for 2027, with a release in 2028.
Amazon MGM declined to comment — and nothing is confirmed until Amazon says so.
The rumor mill is in overdrive
The Sun claimed O’Connor has it. Showbiz 411’s Roger Friedman said Turner has the part. Gary Oldman said in September the next Bond had already been chosen. Pierce Brosnan called Turner “very strong.”
Jacob Elordi and Jack O’Connell are reportedly out — neither took part in the latest tests.
Why Toledo millennials should care
Pattinson is the name Toledo millennials grew up with — Twilight to Batman to possibly Bond. He just worked with Villeneuve on Dune: Part Three (in theaters Dec. 18), which reportedly “went well.”
A decision before Thanksgiving means the reveal lands right as holiday movie season kicks off — just in time for the debate to take over every group chat, theater lobby and Thanksgiving table.
Read more at Fiction Horizon.
Related: From Batman to Bond: Robert Pattinson Reportedly Screen-Tested to Be the Next 007
Photo credit: Robert Pattinson at Berlinale 2025. Photo by Elena Ternovaja, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
