James Bond hunt continues — without Jacob Elordi
The 007 sweepstakes isn’t over, but one contender looks to be sliding backward as the hunt for Daniel Craig’s successor grinds on.
Final screen tests for the next James Bond are about to begin, with Amazon MGM Studios narrowing the shortlist to four, according to Deadline’s Justin Kroll. Three of those names have surfaced, and they’re all British leading men whose profiles have surged in recent years.
- Jack Lowden
- Callum Turner
- Josh O’Connor
The identity of the fourth contender hasn’t been reported yet. Notably, two actors who’d been buzzed about for months — Jacob Elordi and Jack O’Connell — are reportedly not among the finalists heading into tests.
Final 007 screen tests are expected within the next week, per Deadline.
The search to succeed Daniel Craig has been the franchise question since No Time to Die closed out his run in 2021, with speculation regularly attaching big names only to see them fall away. With screen tests looming and four contenders set, the process appears to be hitting its decisive stretch.
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Elordi’s next move
While his Bond odds cool, Elordi is stepping into a different kind of spotlight tied to a former co-star. He’ll serve as the primary narrator of Eric Dane’s posthumous memoir, My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, due out November 3, 2026 , Entertainment Weekly reports.
Most of the audiobook will be read by Elordi, with journalist Maria Shriver voicing the introduction she wrote. The memoir will be published through Shriver’s imprint, The Open Field.
The project carries extra weight because Elordi and Dane played the combustible father-son duo Nate and Cal Jacobs on HBO ’s Euphoria . Dane’s book chronicles his Hollywood career, personal struggles, and his experience living with ALS , the progressive neurological disease that led to his death in February 2026 at age 53. He also wrote it as a record for his family, including daughters Billie and Georgia.
As the Bond search moves into testing, the audiobook of Dane’s memoir — with Elordi at the mic — is slated to arrive November 3, 2026.
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