Pattinson and Hoult Reportedly Screen-Test for James Bond

By Grace Kim

Robert Pattinson screen-tested for the James Bond role in late October, and Nicholas Hoult also joined the reported audition process, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter said on Friday. The field now includes Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor alongside the two newcomers. The outlets had previously described those three actors as favorites.

Amazon MGM Studios has not confirmed a casting choice. It has also remained largely silent throughout the audition process, which began in May 2026. At the outset, the studio said: “The search for the next James Bond is underway.”

The latest tests do not settle the field, and the reports name no first- or second-place candidate. What they establish is a broader pool of actors linked to the role through the reported test process. The casting therefore remains open rather than answered.

Variety and The Hollywood Reporter said Pattinson auditioned for Denis Villeneuve in late October. The director will shepherd the upcoming Bond films and recently worked with Pattinson on Dune: Part Three. Pattinson leads The Batman film series and previously appeared in Harry Potter and Twilight.

Nicholas Hoult also screen-tested for the part as a possible successor to Daniel Craig, according to the reports. He reportedly finished runner-up to Pattinson for Bruce Wayne/Batman in that superhero reboot. Hoult has appeared in the Superman and X-Men film series, and he next appears in Amazon MGM Studios’ How to Rob a Bank.

Amazon MGM Studios will also produce the new Bond films. That places Hoult’s next credited project and the proposed Bond adaptation within the same studio operation, although no connection between his availability and the casting has been established.

Variety adds that Harry Styles “had discussions” about playing Bond, but it remains unclear whether he auditioned. Amazon MGM Studios did not comment on the new screen tests. Its silence has continued since the process began in May.

The reports said Jacob Elordi had once been considered a favorite. The Bond buzz around him has quieted in recent weeks, according to the report. Quieter interest is not a confirmed exclusion because the studio has announced no decision.

Last year, Amazon MGM Studios announced that Denis Villeneuve would direct the next Bond film, a follow-up to 2021’s No Time to Die. No Time to Die marked Daniel Craig’s final outing as the spy. Amazon’s announcement set out the project’s creative team:

• Denis Villeneuve will direct the film.
• Villeneuve and Tanya Lapointe will serve as executive producers.
• Amy Pascal and David Heyman will produce.
• Steven Knight, best known as the creator of Peaky Blinders, will write.

Villeneuve described the assignment as both a responsibility and an honor when Amazon MGM Studios made the announcement:

“I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come.

This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust.”

What changes for the next Bond film?

For audiences, the practical answer is limited but clear: the film has a confirmed creative team and an unresolved lead. Pattinson and Hoult have entered a reported field rather than displaced its earlier names. Amazon MGM Studios has neither endorsed a casting nor ruled one out.

The mechanism remains visible in the sequence: Amazon announced the search, the actors screen-tested, and the outlets reported shifting favorites. Amazon’s silence prevents any report from becoming an official selection. The next decisive step is a studio announcement naming 007. Until then, the next Bond film has a director, a writer and producers, but no confirmed Bond actor.