James Bond Screen Tests Reportedly Included Pattinson and Hoult, With a Decision Due by Year’s End

The James Bond screen tests for the next 007 reportedly included two bigger names than anyone had expected: Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult. Multiple outlets reported on November 6 and 7 that the pair auditioned alongside Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor. Amazon MGM Studios has not confirmed any of it.

Who tested, and when

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the tests took place the weekend of October 24 in London, where Pattinson is currently filming The Batman Part II. Variety reported that Pattinson auditioned for director Denis Villeneuve. The two recently worked together on Dune: Part Three, due December 18. Deadline’s sources also named Hoult but stressed that the names are not officially confirmed.

The Hollywood Reporter had earlier said four, possibly five, actors were in the mix, though only three names had surfaced. Deadline’s insiders say a fifth actor was added at the eleventh hour, but the outlet did not know who that last addition was. It also said the group was no bigger than five.

A surprising pair

Pattinson is 40, already leads a major franchise as Bruce Wayne, and became a star through the Twilight films. That makes him an unlikely fit for the “fresh face” producers were reportedly seeking at one stage, as IGN noted. NME called his inclusion a surprise given how established he is.

Hoult, 36, has his own franchise credentials: Beast in the X-Men films and Lex Luthor in Superman, plus a well-received turn in Nosferatu. The two have a history. Hoult was reportedly the runner-up to Pattinson for the Batman role in the 2022 film, so they may be going head to head for a second blockbuster franchise.

Variety added that Harry Styles “had discussions” about the part, though it is unclear whether he actually auditioned. IGN’s summary of the Variety report says Theo James has not been ruled out either. Meanwhile, Rolling Stone noted that the buzz around Jacob Elordi, once seen as a frontrunner, has quieted in recent weeks.

How the search got here

The hunt began in May, when the studio said casting director Nina Gold had joined the project. Deadline reports that first-round auditions followed in August, and that the studio, producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, and Villeneuve narrowed the list and sent out test offers in September. The final James Bond screen tests were originally planned for earlier in October. Scheduling conflicts among the finalists pushed them to the end of the month so they could happen around the same time.

Public speculation has run ahead of the facts. NME noted that Bond experts claimed Turner had effectively won the role after he was reportedly spotted at a screen test at Bray Studios in Berkshire. A separate rumour, based on an account allegedly from a colleague, said O’Connor had been cast. Neither claim has been confirmed, and the arrival of two more reported candidates complicates both stories.

What happens next

The new film will be the first since Amazon took creative control of the franchise from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson in February 2025. Villeneuve will direct from a script by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. Pascal has said the new Bond will be announced before the end of 2026, adding: “We are being really, really methodical… Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow.”

Deadline says most observers expect a decision by the end of November, potentially before Thanksgiving. Until Amazon says otherwise, the full list of candidates, and who made the final cut, remains unverified. Craig himself was announced as Bond in October 2005 and played the role in five films through 2021’s No Time to Die.

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File photo: MJK 08789 Robert Pattinson (Damsel, Berlinale 2018).jpg by Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.