Amazon MGM Studios wasted no time during its CinemaCon presentation yesterday to tell those in attendance not to expect any news about the next James Bond movie.
Per Deadline, Courtenay Valenti, head of film at Amazon MGM Studios, took the stage with the following message:
“Now, 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 filmmaking team, including the brilliant director Denis Villeneuve, extraordinary producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, executive producer Tanya Lapointe, and screenwriter Steven Knight, 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.”
For all the talk people have had online over the last few years about how Amazon would milk the Bond franchise to death, the studio should be applauded for doing quite the opposite so far. Outside of the reality competition show 007: Road to a Million, the Bond franchise has lain dormant since the last theatrical outing, 2021’s No Time to Die.
Denis Villeneuve Is Directing Bond 26
As Valenti stated, Denis Villeneuve is attached to direct Bond 26. It will be his next feature after Dune: Part Three. Steven Knight, the creator, executive producer, and writer of Peaky Blinders, is penning the screenplay.
While details remain sparse for Bond 26, sources close to the production have stated that Amazon and Villeneuve’s ideal candidate to succeed Daniel Craig in the role of 007 will be “an unknown” actor in his late twenties or early thirties. The team reportedly wants to find an actor who closely matches the description of James Bond from Ian Fleming’s books, where he is described as a blunt instrument, lethal but extremely dull and uninteresting, and over six feet tall.
Bond 26 does not yet have a release date.
Are you happy that Amazon isn’t rushing the next era of Bond to the big screen? Who do you think needs to play 007 next?
