Next James Bond 007 film, Digi Mart USA News: When a bartender asked James Bond in 2006’s Casino Royale whether he’d like his vodka martini shaken or stirred, the irritated spy replied: “Do I look like I give a damn?” Such throwaway lines signaled to audiences that a new era for 007 had begun with the arrival of Daniel Craig.
Over the next few films, producers balanced nods to the past with a move away from some of the series’ cheesier elements. In Skyfall, Ben Whishaw’s Q asked the agent whether he was expecting an exploding pen, adding, “We don’t really go in for that anymore.”
Two decades after Craig’s debut, the series is about to be rebooted again, with a new actor and a new creative team. Here is what is known so far.
Producer Amy Pascal told Deadline in August: “I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical.” The final screen tests reportedly took place in late October, and the casting announcement is expected in November or December.
Because the franchise is now owned by Amazon MGM, some expect the company to make the announcement through its Prime Video streaming service rather than a traditional photo call or press conference. A handful of actors are thought to have reached the final screen tests, but the publisher article does not confirm their names in the supplied text, and a wildcard choice remains possible, as Craig’s casting in 2005 was a surprise.
The film is expected to go into production in 2027 and be released in 2028. No exact dates have been announced, and film schedules can change.
It will be the 26th film in the official series, though the title has not yet been confirmed. Denis Villeneuve, known for Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and the Dune trilogy starring Timothée Chalamet, will direct.
Villeneuve said he grew up watching Bond films with his father, starting with Dr. No, and called the role a massive responsibility and a huge honour.
Steven Knight, known for Peaky Blinders, House of Guinness, Burnt, Spencer, Locke and The Girl in the Spider’s Web, will write Bond 26. Knight said writing a Bond film had long been on his “bucket list” and told the BBC he planned to “write the character, not the actor,” adding that he felt a responsibility to the text and loved that the franchise is British.
The article notes that, not counting films outside the official series, there have been 25 Bond films, and that the ending of 2021’s No Time To Die makes a direct chronological continuation difficult. Options under discussion include a different version of Bond in another universe or a significantly earlier setting.
Tony Gilroy has said he and Steven Soderbergh once pitched a 1960s version, and Ralph Fiennes has said he once discussed playing Bond and suggested a 1950s film noir-style version. Neither idea materialized, though some fans felt a period piece would be closer to Ian Fleming’s original character.
Exactly what shape the next film takes will become clearer later. For now, fans are waiting for the imminent announcement of the next actor to play 007.
