James Bond Auditions Have Officially Started, ‘Game of Thrones’ Casting Vet Nina Gold Tapped to Find Next 007

The hunt for the next James Bond has officially kicked off.

via: EW

Amazon MGM announced that the casting search to find the next James Bond has officially begun

"The search for the next James Bond is underway," the studio said in a statement on Thursday. "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."

Entertainment Weekly has learned that Nina Gold will serve as the film's casting director. Gold has worked on numerous high-profile projects like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Game of Thrones, Paddington, Prometheus, and Conclave.

Last June, Amazon MGM announced that Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve will direct.

"Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery," the director said in a statement at the time. "I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor."

Steven Knight, the screenwriter behind projects like Peaky Blinders and Spencer, is writing the script.

Former Sony Pictures exec Amy Pascal (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and David Heyman (Barbie, the Harry Potter franchise) are on board to produce, with Tanya Lapointe, who produced the Dune films and is married to Villeneuve, as executive producer.

​James Bond first hit the big screen in 1962 with Dr. No. Based on Ian Fleming's novel of the same name, the film starred Sean Connery in the first of his five mainline outings as the British superspy. Producers Albert "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman shepherded the franchise via their production company Eon Productions.

Broccoli's daughter, Barbara Broccoli, and stepson, Michael G. Wilson, took over as primary producers with 1995's GoldenEye after working on several prior 007 movies in various capacities.

After steering the franchise through four films starring Pierce Brosnan and five starring Daniel Craig, Barbara and Wilson ceded creative control of the series to Amazon MGM in 2025.

"My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli," Barbara Broccoli said at the time. "I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects."