Jeff Bezos Steps Into Bond World With Amazon MGM Project
The team behind the next James Bond film is coming together: after Denis Villeneuve was chosen to direct the new 007 adventure from Amazon MGM Studios, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been hired to write the script, CE Report quotes ANSA.
The film will be the 26th installment in the iconic franchise inspired by Ian Fleming’s novels, and the first since the surprise announcement last February that longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson had handed over creative control to Jeff Bezos’s media empire in a $1 billion deal.
For months after that shocking news, everything seemed to be on pause—until late June, when it was confirmed that the Dune director had signed on. Now, with Knight on board (whose past credits include not only Peaky Blinders with Cillian Murphy, but also series like See for Apple TV+, SAS: Rogue Heroes and This Town for the BBC, A Thousand Blows for Disney+, and All the Light We Cannot See for Netflix), things are picking up speed.
The next step will be casting the lead actor, with a target theatrical release date of 2028—anything earlier, Variety notes, would be unrealistic due to the scale of the production.
The most recent Bond film, starring Daniel Craig, was released in 2021, concluding his run as 007 which began with Casino Royale in 2006.
Amy Pascal and David Heyman will produce the new film, with Tanya Lapointe as executive producer. They’ve promised a Bond who is “new, but true to tradition.”
Casting is focused on British actors under 30, with names like Tom Holland and Harris Dickinson frequently mentioned. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, once considered a frontrunner, is now said to be too old (35) for the new direction. Jacob Elordi has also been mentioned, though he’s Australian.
Other rumored candidates, like Taron Egerton and Henry Golding, have publicly ruled themselves out: Egerton said he’s “too messy” to play Bond, and Golding noted the cultural pressure tied to the role.
Back in February, Jeff Bezos himself even launched an informal poll on Instagram, asking his nearly 7 million followers who should play the iconic spy known for his love of martinis, beautiful women, and Aston Martins.
While the film is still in the early stages, James Bond will make his next appearance not in theaters, but in a video game:
“007: First Light”, expected in 2026 for Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, is being developed by IO Interactive (creators of Hitman) and will explore the early days of Agent 007, offering a modern reimagining of the legend.
