Robert Pattinson screen-tested for James Bond role
Robert Pattinson has reportedly auditioned to be the next James Bond, joining a shortlist of contenders as Amazon MGM Studios takes creative control of the franchise for the first time.
Amazon MGM Studios has taken creative control of the James Bond franchise. The studio bought out the creative rights in February 2025, making the upcoming film the first franchise entry produced through Amazon MGM Studios. This follows Daniel Craig's tenure, which spanned five rebooted films and concluded with his character's death in 2021's No Time to Die.
Pattinson's screen test
Robert Pattinson, a 40-year-old English actor, screen-tested for James Bond in London over the weekend of October 24. The test occurred while Pattinson was in the city filming The Batman Part II. His reported audition places him among the official contenders to succeed Craig.
The contenders
A shortlist of actors is reportedly in the running. Multiple Hollywood trades confirmed Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult as the mysterious fourth and fifth contenders, joining previously named hopefuls Callum Turner, Jack Lowden, and Josh O'Connor. Hoult was a runner-up to Pattinson for the role of Batman years ago. The final group of candidates has been described as "no bigger than five actors."
Creative direction and casting hurdles
The casting process faces potential creative clashes. Longtime franchise steward Barbara Broccoli has been reluctant to cast anyone who isn't white and male as James Bond. Pattinson's recent career suggests a different path. He seeks out spiky, provocative auteur films and prioritizes variety, having played an unhinged dauphin, a seductive southern preacher, and a demented mermaid fetishist. He injected a sense of the unpredictable into his portrayal of Bruce Wayne, depicting a deeply traumatized man rather than a playboy superhero. He is not suave in the classic sense but is incredibly magnetic.
Production details
Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing the new Bond film, with Denis Villeneuve set to direct and Steven Knight writing the script. Pattinson recently worked with Villeneuve on Dune: Part 3, which bows December 18. Casting director Nina Gold joined the project in the spring, with first-round auditions taking place in August and the shortlist finalized in September. Pattinson's recent box-office hits include Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and A24’s The Drama and Primetime. He is also slated to appear in the heist film The Take.
Daniel Craig was set as Bond in October 2005. His era included the franchise's first and only $1 billion hit, Skyfall, in 2012. Sean Connery famously said of the character, "I'd like to kill him." Craig finally managed that feat. Pattinson, who broke out in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and gained global fame in Twilight, has made unconventional claims himself. He once said of his Batman role, I mean, it's kind of such an insane thing to do: the only way I can live is to dress up as a bat. A final casting decision could be reached by Thanksgiving.
