Peaky BlinderscreatorSteven Knightis confirmed as the writer for the forthcomingJames Bondfilm, which will be directed byDunefilmmakerDenis Villeneuve, and it sounds like he has big plans for Amazon’s takeover of the 007 franchise. News ofKnight’s involvement with the rebootonly broke one day ago, but he has wasted no time in sharing his love for the iconic British spy series and what he hopes to bring to the table when it comes to the top-secret project — other than a martini (shaken, not stirred)… of course.
Knight recentlyreceived praise for his latest series, the British historical dramaA Thousand Blowson Disney+ and Hulu, but his next undertaking is even more high-profile. He told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast on Friday, Aug. 1, that being involved in a 007 film had always been on his “bucket list,” as he expressed his commitment to helping usher in the next era of Bond with a bold new take that leans on his personal affection for the franchise. The writer, whose other credits include films likeSerenity, Spencer, andMaria,told the radio show hosts:
“It’s fantastic to be invited to do it — I can’t wait to get started. I’m hoping that, being a Bond fan for so many years, it will be imbued into me and I will be able to produce something that’s the same but different, and better, stronger and bolder.”
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Speaking about the selection process for the writing gig, Knight added: “I was invited to a meeting with [producer] Amy Pascal, didn’t know what it was about, and very quickly discovered what it was about and became very, very excited and hopeful. And then a process is followed where you do some meetings, you discuss some ideas, and then you find out you’ve got it. So I found out a while ago, but it was announced last night, which is great.”
Hiring a screenwriter for James Bond 26 was a top goal for Amazon and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, so now that Knight is locked in, the focus will likely shift to who will play the next Bond, which means casting rumors will probably start to heat up again. However, when asked who could be tapped asDaniel Craig’s successor, Knight played it coy, saying: “That is a very, very good question, and one I can’t give you the answer to.” He didn’t elaborate any further, so we’re no closer to finding out which actor will assume the iconic role.
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It has been four years since Craig bowed out as Bond inNo Time to Die. He made his first appearance in the highly coveted role inCasino Royalein 2006, then returned forQuantum of Solace(2008),Skyfall(2012), andSpectre(2015) before closing out the longest tenure of any 007 actor with his final performance in Cary Joji Fukunaga’s critically acclaimed entry. Craig pulled from his years of experience to offersome very simple adviceto whoever dons the iconic tuxedo next, but the identity of his replacement has yet to be revealed.
A myriad of names have been linked to the next James Bond film, but it recently emerged thatAmazon’s top three choicesfor the 007 role are Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Jacob Elordi (Euphoria), and Harris Dickinson (Babygirl), which aligns with previous reports that the studio is aiming to cast an actor under the age of 30 for Villeneuve’s installment. Other hot contenders that have frequently made headlines include Henry Cavill and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but they are both older, so the casting seems to still be up in the air.
Sources:BBC Radio 5,BBC
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