Reports of a major casting shake-up suggest the race for the role of James Bond is getting narrower, with a “clear favorite” said to have emerged in recent days.

Last week, it was reported that four actors — Jack Lowden , Callum Turner , Josh O’Connor, and an unnamed additional actor — were about to embark on screen tests for the iconic role of 007, as the franchise’s new owner, AmazonMGM, looks for a replacement for Daniel Craig .

On October 28, Metro reported that Harris Dickinson ( Babygirl, Triangle of Sadness ) and Nicholas Hoult ( The Menu, Mad Max: Fury Road ) have been eliminated from the casting process — possibly due to Harris’ commitments to his role as John Lennon in The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event , as well as Hoult’s role as supervillain Lex Luthor in the Superman franchise.

Other actors, including Jacob Elordi ( Euphoria, Saltburn ), Theo James ( The Gentlemen, Divergent ), James Norton ( Happy Valley , House of the Dragon ), and long-time fan-casting favorite Idris Elba ( Luther,…