James Bond is special. Playing him propels an actor into an exceptionally elite group of performers. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, only six people have ever played him in the official film series.
In the last decade alone the UK has had more prime ministers, and twice as many people have walked on the moon than have played the British secret agent.
The last announcement of a new Bond was 21 years ago in 2005. So it's inevitable for Bond fans to want to have their questions answered about the future of one of cinema's most sought after roles, in one of cinema's biggest franchises.
This is, of course, the big question fans have been talking about for the last six years. And with an announcement edging closer and closer, the speculation has intensified recently.
Many of the same well-known faces have been bandied about for months, if not years. Those names have generally included Henry Cavill, Harris Dickinson, Jacob Elordi, Jack Lowden, James Norton, Jack O'Connell, Callum Turner and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
More recently, other names have also been thrown into the mix.
Earlier this year Variety reported that stage actor Tom Francis had auditioned, external for the role. And in late August Page Six claimed there will be more auditions this month, and that Gladiator 2 star Paul Mescal and Heartstopper and SAS: Rogue Heroes star Jack Barton are also on the audition list, external.
The announcement about the next film's producers referred to keeping Bond's spirit alive "as he embarks on his next adventure", seemingly confirming that Bond would remain male.
However, it's never been clear whether the rumoured names have been well-sourced inside information, or merely guesswork and speculation.
Back in May, Amazon MGM Studios who now control the Bond franchise confirmed the casting process was under way, external. But little detail beyond that was given, the statement only saying: "While we don't plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we're excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
It now seems that the right time is fast approaching. In an interview with Deadline, external Amy Pascal, one of the next film's producers, was asked whether we might have news on who would be playing Bond by the end of the year. She replied: "I would say the end of the year is a good bet."
Last month entertainment writer Daniel Richtman said, external on social media: "I hear they're in the final round of casting for James Bond and might have already found their guy."
His post on X was followed up by journalist Jeff Sneider, external who said: "Heard the same rumour. First it was down to seven, then three. Now 'they may have found their guy'. Who knows at this point? But for some reason, I don't think it's any of the so-called frontrunners, including the Aussie…"
The Aussie is almost certainly a reference to Euphoria and Wuthering Heights star Jacob Elordi, who was brought up in Brisbane and Melbourne before moving to the US to pursue his acting career.
The audition process is likely to have been carried out in a similar way to previous castings.
The scene that many would-be Bonds have traditionally had to peform is taken from From Russia With Love, where 007 comes out of his bathroom to find Tatiana Romanova in his bed. It's a scene where an actor relies on their physical presence, movement and charisma. No explosions fights or gadgets.
As GoldenEye and Casino Royale director Martin Campbell explained to entertainment website Gold Derby, external: "The word is effortless. You never see Bond fumble, he is very economic, efficient and effortless. That scene covers all the bases, basically."
And for a series where the stakes are so high, no expense is spared in ensuring that the film team know exactly how each auditionee will come across on screen. As the 007 team themselves have explained in the past, external: "Bond screen tests are elaborate affairs involving hair and make-up, costumes, sets, and other actors."
Generally, the unveiling of a new Bond has taken place at a London press conference in front of the world's media. But for the first time creative control of the franchise is in the hands of a studio like Amazon MGM.
Amazon purchased MGM for $8.5bn in 2021, which included the rights to distribute James Bond. And they're reported to have paid at least $20m more for the rights to creatively control Bond's future.
Having paid such eye-watering amounts, it seems more than possible that Amazon MGM might well wish to drive fans towards their streaming service, with any reveal of the new Bond being exclusively announced on Prime Video.
It would almost certainly see a surge in streaming subscriptions. And such an announcement would still inevitably be covered by the world's press.
Global James Bond Day on 5 October, the 64th anniversary of the release of the first film Dr No, is fast approaching. So this date might be a good day for fans to mark in their diaries for a possible announcement.
Only the Bond team themselves really know this.
But Amazon MGM do have the financial resources to plan well ahead, and explore various issues, such as how Bond will operate over multiple films; will there be an overriding arc that will cover his journey over the next decade etc; will there be a film every two years, every three years, every four or five?
Additionally, with such a huge investment, AmazonMGM will undoubtedly be keen to learn from Disney's experiences with Star Wars, and Marvel's experiences with its Marvel Cinematic Universe, in how best to use the Bond franchise.
While there might be appetite for multiple Bond spin-offs, eg Young Bond, the Miss Moneypenny adventures etc, they will also be wary that they don't over-saturate the market, and damage the films which are at the core of the Bond franchise.
The below contains spoilers for No Time To Die
Daniel Craig's farewell at the end of No Time To Die saw him on the island lair of the film's villain, Rami Malek's Safin, as it was struck by a volley of air strikes, with the super spy apparently finally meeting his demise.
Rumours have indicated that the next film might well reflect Bond's early years at the start of his MI6 career, in effect a reboot, which means that there won't be any pressure or sense of disappointment that the story won't reflect No Time To Die's conclusion.
And in any case, Bond fans have been reassured by the message that has appeared at the end of almost every Bond film - "James Bond will return".
It looks like soon we'll be finding out who that James Bond will be.
