The search for James Bond is over. The screenwriter for the next Bond film, Steven Knight, confirmed in an interview with Radio 4’s Today program that the iconic character has finally been cast. Producer Amy Pascal previously suggested that they’d find their new Bond before the end of the year.
Knight, who created Peaky Blinders, is writing the screenplay for the new movie, which will reboot the franchise under Amazon’s ownership. In the Radio 4 interview, Knight said that handling the script became straightforward once he knew who was playing the leading role. “It does make life a little bit easier if you know who that person is, but also you have to write the character, not the actor,” he said.
Knight said that he is “trying to shut out” the pressure surrounding the film. “The only thing I can say is it feels like I’m doing my duty for king and country – if you’re a British writer, you have to do it. The thing with Bond is it’s its own universe and its own franchise. Obviously, you have to move it along, but I love where it sits. I love that it’s British and it’s not DC or Marvel.” He added that he “feels a responsibility to” Ian Fleming’s novels.
Who will be the next James Bond?
As for who is rumored to be in the running for the role, Jack Barton, Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal, and Harris Dickinson are reportedly in the mix. Aaron Taylor-Johnson has also been a target of speculation, as he recently signed a deal with Omega, the official watch company for the Bond franchise. Amazon acquired creative control of the Bond series last year and signed casting director Nina Gold (Game of Thrones) for the reboot. Gold won the inaugural Academy Award for Achievement in Casting with last year’s Hamnet.
We may find out more next month, when the official James Bond Day — Oct. 5, to mark the release of Dr. No — rolls around.
Denis Villeneuve is directing the new Bond film, but it isn’t expected to start shooting until his Dune: Part 3 releases in December. It’s been almost five years since the previous Bond movie, No Time to Die, which was Daniel Craig’s fifth and final appearance as the character.
