James Bond casting: Harris Dickinson withdraws from Bond 26 auditions

Actor Harris Dickinson, 30, has withdrawn from consideration for the lead role in the upcoming Bond 26 film. Dickinson told producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal he was too fatigued after recently portraying John Lennon in Sam Mendes’ Beatles project, and therefore could not commit to the demanding spy franchise.

Amazon MGM Studios, which is rebooting the series under director Denis Villeneuve, continues to seek a young, relatively unknown actor under 30 who could carry the role for several films. Auditions are slated to resume with a second round expected in August, keeping the search for the next 007 open.