LOS ANGELES – 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 were a clever way of signalling to the audience that this was a new era for 007 – and that the film series launched in 1962 was being overhauled with the arrival of Daniel Craig. Over the next few films, producers struck a balance between nodding to the past while also moving away from some of the cheesier elements of the series, no longer sticking rigidly to all of the tradition and tropes of Bond. “Were you expecting an exploding pen?” Ben Whishaw’s Q later asked the secret service agent in Skyfall. “We don’t really go in for that anymore.” Two decades on from Craig’s debut, the series is about to be rebooted once again, with a new actor and new creative team. It’s an exciting time for Bond fans as they wait to see what shape the next era will take. Here’s what we know so far. After years of speculation, the wheels are firmly in motion and we expect to hear who the new James Bond actor is in November or December. Speaking in August, producer Amy Pascal told Deadline: “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, so, unless something unexpected happens, it should not take much longer for producers to make their decision and the actor to sign the contract. After that, it’s just a matter of how the announcement will be made. In an earlier era, Bond actors were revealed with a traditional photo call or press conference. But now that the franchise is owned by Amazon MGM, some expect the company to make the announcement via its own Prime Video streaming service. A handful of actors are thought to have made it to the final screen tests to take on Britain’s biggest film role. The three frontrunners are thought to be:
• Jack Lowden, 36 – whose credits include Slow Horses and Pride and Prejudice
• Josh O’Connor, 36 – The Crown, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
• Callum Turner, 36 – Masters of the Air, The Capture.
But remember, Craig was a surprise choice in 2005, so don’t bet against a wildcard candidate whose name has not yet been widely reported. When will the next Bond film be released? The film is expected to go into production in 2027, before its release in 2028. No exact dates have been announced. Film schedules can be notoriously fluid, but it’s clear that development is well under way, with the director and writer already in place.
It will be the 26th film in the official film series, but the title has not yet been confirmed. The movie will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, known for Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and the recent Dune trilogy starring Timothée Chalamet. “Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007,” the French-Canadian director said last year. “I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory.”
He added: “I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honour.”
Bond 26 will be written by Steven Knight, known for TV series such as Peaky Blinders and House of Guinness, and films including Burnt, Spencer, Locke and The Girl in the Spider’s Web.
Knight has said it had always been on his “bucket list” to write a Bond film, adding that he felt he was “doing my duty for King and country” by joining the franchise. He told the BBC he planned to “write the character, not the actor”, adding: “The thing with Bond is it’s its own universe and franchise. So there are certain rules.
“Obviously you have to move it along, but I love where it sits. I love that it’s British. I love that it’s not DC or Marvel… So I feel a responsibility to the text.”