The casting process for the new James Bond has officially begun, after years of anticipation and speculation about who will take over from Daniel Craig as 007.

"The search for the next James Bond is under way," Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement.

Auditions have been taking place in recent weeks, according to Hollywood outlet Variety, and the statement signals the beginning of the end of the long wait for a new James Bond.

"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," Amazon added.

There have been five years since the release of No Time To Die, Craig's final film as the famous spy.

And there have been 15 months since Amazon MGM Studios took control of the Bond franchise.

The studio has already announced that the next movie will be directed by Dune's Denis Villeneuve and written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

Variety reported that Nina Gold, one of Hollywood's leading casting directors, who has worked on the Paddington, Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Mamma Mia! franchises, is conducting the search for a new lead actor.

Who could be in the frame to play James Bond?

The current bookmakers' favourites include:

• Callum Turner - the 36-year-old actor is the current bookies' frontrunner. He has been in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, was nominated for a Bafta for TV drama The Capture, and starred in Apple TV's Masters of the Air. He is also Dua Lipa's other half.
• Jacob Elordi - the Australian actor, 28, made his name in TV's Euphoria and cult hit film Saltburn, and was nominated for an Oscar this year for playing the monster in Frankenstein. The Rest Is Entertainment host Marina Hyde recently said she'd heard from a number of well-placed sources that he's now "in pole position" to be Bond.
• Harris Dickinson - the 29-year-old is playing John Lennon in the forthcoming major Beatles biopics, and has previously appeared in Maleficent, The King's Man, Where the Crawdads Sing and Babygirl, and received a Bafta TV Award nomination for A Murder at the End of the World.
• Henry Cavill - the Superman, The Witcher and Mission: Impossible actor is a fan favourite and was widely regarded to have been the runner-up when Craig landed the part. But at 43, is he now too old to start a lengthy stint as 007?
• Aaron Taylor-Johnson - the Bafta-nominated 35-year-old, known for films like Kick-Ass, Kraven the Hunter and 28 Years Later, is a perennial contender, and would fit the bill.
• Theo James - the suitably suave star, 41, made his name in the Divergent films and has since built his reputation in The Time Traveler's Wife, The White Lotus and The Gentlemen.

...Or producers could well go for one of the many other names who have been touted for the role, or an unexpected choice.

The successful actor will be the seventh official person to play James Bond over the film franchise's 64-year history.

'Care and deep respect'

Speaking at CinemaCon last month, Amazon MGM Studios' head of film Courtenay Valenti said: "I know you're all wondering when we're going to announce who's playing James Bond.

"Please know that we're taking the time to do this with care and deep respect. It is the dream of a lifetime for all of us to bring audiences this next chapter, and it's a responsibility we don't take lightly.

"What I can tell you is this: When you pair one of the most beloved franchises in history with a world-class film-making team... you're setting the stage for something that's truly worthy of the Bond legacy.

"That film is coming, and when the time is right, we'll have much more to share."

No details of the rest of the cast, plot or release date for the next film - which will be the 26th official Bond movie - have yet been revealed.

Knight told BBC News at the Bafta TV Awards last weekend that his work on the script was "going fantastically", adding: "I am 1,000% confident that when this gets out there people are going to really love it."

The new film will be co-produced by Amy Pascal and David Heyman.

Pascal is best known for the three latest Spider-Man titles starring Tom Holland, while Heyman was behind all eight Harry Potter movies.