Auditions for the next James Bond are finally underway

Idris Elba, Henry Cavill and Cillian Murphy are some of the names that have been floated as the next 007. (Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

The name’s Bond, James Bond. But what’s the name of the next person who’ll be playing him? That’s the question fans have been asking for years — and the wait for an answer may soon be over.

Auditions have finally begun for the next instalment in the blockbuster movie franchise, according to a statement from Amazon MGM Studios.

The production company issued a short statement Thursday with early details of plans for the new movie, including the announcement that the search for a new leading man — or perhaps even woman — has begun.

“The search for the next James Bond is underway,” said the statement published online, adding that the “casting process has just begun.”

Noting that it won’t be sharing specific details while the auditions are being held, the company went on to say “we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.”

Speculation about who will don the tuxedo of Hollywood’s most famous spy has been mounting for years, with the likes of A-listers Idris Elba, Henry Cavill and Cillian Murphy floated as potential successors to Daniel Craig, whose last outing in the role was in 2021’s “No Time to Die.”

Others who are hotly tipped to be in the running are British actors Callum Turner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Harris Dickinson, and Australian star Jacob Elordi.

Last year it was announced that creative control of the series — based Ian Fleming’s novels — was being handed off from longtime producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to Amazon MGM Studios.

The first person to play 007 was Sean Connery with “Dr. No” back in 1962 and six further films. Others who have taken the wheel of the famed Aston Martin are George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and, most recently, Craig, who also starred in “Casino Royale” (2006), “Quantum of Solace” (2008), “Skyfall” (2012) and “Spectre” (2015).

And while the new film may have neither a name nor a star just yet, some details have been released, including that it will be directed by Oscar-nominated Denis Villeneuve.

The French-Canadian filmmaker, best known for his work on “Blade Runner 2049,” “Arrival” and the “Dune” movies, will work with executive producer Tanya Lapointe and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman. The script is being written by Steven Knight, whose credits include “Peaky Blinders,” “Eastern Promises” and “Dirty Pretty Things.”