Every new Bond arrives carrying the weight of the decades behind him, and this one is no different. Daniel Craig's era, which began with a bartender's casual question about a martini and ended with five films that reshaped 007 for a new century, is closing, and the producers of the long-running spy series are now choosing who will carry the tuxedo forward. With Denis Villeneuve directing and Steven Knight writing, the work of reinvention is already underway, and the name of the next actor is expected to surface before the year turns, opening a quieter chapter that will not be fully revealed un
Who will be the next James Bond? What we know about Bond 26, from casting frontrunners to Denis Villeneuve's direction
Craig was a surprise choice in 2005, so don't bet against a wildcard.
Mark
Why does this announcement matter so much? It's one actor.
Mimi
Only six people have ever played Bond in the official series. A new one sets the tone for a decade, and this time a new owner, Amazon MGM, and a new creative team come with him.
Mark
Who's the favourite?
Mimi
Jack Lowden, Josh O'Connor and Callum Turner, all 36, are reported as frontrunners.
Luke
Reported is the key word. Those names come from reporting, not from any announcement. Nobody on the production has confirmed a shortlist.
Mark
And the timing?
Mimi
Amy Pascal said the end of the year was a good bet. Screen tests reportedly finished in late October.
Luke
Note the gap there. Pascal's quote is on the record. The October screen tests are only reported. The November or December expectation is an inference, not a promise.
Mark
What about Villeneuve and Knight?
Mimi
Both are confirmed. Villeneuve called Bond sacred territory, and Knight says he'll write the character, not the actor.
Luke
Worth adding that the 2027 production and 2028 release are expectations. No dates are announced, and the title is unconfirmed.
Mark
So what shape will the film take?
Mimi
Nobody knows yet. A new universe or a period setting are floated, but neither is decided.
Der Puls
- A franchise that has survived six actors and sixty years now faces the pressure of replacing its most recent face.
- Producers are described as close to a decision, with final screen tests reportedly completed in late October.
- Three frontrunners, Jack Lowden, Josh O'Connor and Callum Turner, are circulating, while a dark-horse name could still break through.
- Amazon MGM is weighing whether to reveal the chosen actor through Prime Video, a break from the old photo-call tradition.
- The film is slated for production in 2027 and release in 2028, with the title and creative direction still unconfirmed.
Every new Bond arrives carrying the weight of the decades behind him, and this one is no different. Daniel Craig's era, which began with a bartender's casual question about a martini and ended with five films that reshaped 007 for a new century, is closing, and the producers of the long-running spy series are now choosing who will carry the tuxedo forward. With Denis Villeneuve directing and Steven Knight writing, the work of reinvention is already underway, and the name of the next actor is expected to surface before the year turns, opening a quieter chapter that will not be fully revealed until the film itself arrives in 2028.
In 2006, a bartender asked the new James Bond whether he wanted his martini shaken or stirred, and Daniel Craig's irritated spy snapped back that he did not look like he cared. The moment was small, but it signaled that a series begun in 1962 was being rebuilt from the ground up. Two decades later, that rebuilding is happening again, and the question of who will play 007 next is nearing its answer.
Producers are said to be close to naming Craig's successor, with the announcement expected in November or December. Amy Pascal has described the process as deliberate and methodical, and final screen tests reportedly took place in late October. How the news will be delivered is also uncertain, since the franchise now belongs to Amazon MGM and the company may choose to unveil its choice on Prime Video rather than at a press event.
Three names lead the speculation: Jack Lowden, Josh O'Connor and Callum Turner, all 36. A longer list of candidates has circulated, and the reporting suggests that a surprise, as with Craig in 2005, remains possible.
Denis Villeneuve, a lifelong Bond devotee who grew up watching the films with his father, will direct. He calls the character sacred territory. Steven Knight, who has long wanted to write a Bond film, says he will write the character rather than the actor. The film is expected in production in 2027 and release in 2028, and the creative team's shape of the story, whether a fresh universe or an earlier period, remains open.
In 2006's Casino Royale, a bartender asks the new James Bond whether he wants his vodka martini shaken or stirred. Daniel Craig's irritated spy answers, "Do I look like I give a damn?" It was a throwaway line, but it told audiences that the series, which began in 1962, was being overhauled. Six years later in Skyfall, Ben Whishaw's Q asked whether Bond had expected an exploding pen, then said the service no longer goes in for that sort of thing.
Two decades after Craig's debut, the series is being rebooted again, with a new actor and a new creative team. The announcement of who will play 007 is expected in November or December. Producer Amy Pascal told Deadline in August that the end of the year was a good bet, adding that the producers were being "really, really methodical." Final screen tests reportedly took place in late October, so unless something unexpected happens, the decision and the contract signing should not be far off.
How the news will be delivered is the other question. In earlier eras, Bond actors were revealed at a photo call or press conference. The franchise is now owned by Amazon MGM, and some expect the company to use its own Prime Video streaming service.
Three names are reported as frontrunners, all aged 36: Jack Lowden, known for Slow Horses and Pride and Prejudice; Josh O'Connor, of The Crown and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery; and Callum Turner, of Masters of the Air and The Capture. Others said to be in the frame include Jack O'Connell (36), Jack Barton (31), Joe Alwyn (35), Nicholas Hoult (36), Robert Pattinson (40), Jacob Elordi (29) and Paul Mescal (30). A handful of actors are thought to have reached the final screen tests. Craig himself was a surprise choice in 2005, so a name not yet widely reported can't be ruled out.
The film is expected to go into production in 2027 and be released in 2028, though no exact dates have been announced. It will be the 26th film in the official series, and its title is unconfirmed. Development is clearly well advanced, since the director and writer are already in place.
Denis Villeneuve, the French-Canadian director of Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and the recent Dune films with Timothée Chalamet, will direct. Last year he said some of his earliest movie-going memories were of 007, and that he grew up watching Bond films with his father, starting with Dr. No and Sean Connery. He called himself a die-hard fan and described Bond as "sacred territory," saying he intends to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions.
Steven Knight, the writer of Peaky Blinders, House of Guinness, Burnt, Spencer, Locke and The Girl in the Spider's Web, is writing the script. He has said a Bond film was always on his bucket list and that he felt he was "doing my duty for King and country." He told the BBC he plans to "write the character, not the actor," and that he loves that Bond is British and is not DC or Marvel.
Only six actors have played Bond so far. Connery made six official films between 1962 and 1971, George Lazenby one in 1969, Roger Moore seven between 1973 and 1985, Timothy Dalton two in 1987 and 1989, Pierce Brosnan four between 1995 and 2002, and Craig five between 2006 and 2021. Connery's return for 1971's Diamonds Are Forever explains the overlapping dates, and he also appeared in 1983's Never Say Never Again, which was made by a different studio and sits outside the official series.
What the new film looks like is still open. Continuing the story chronologically would be hard after the ending of 2021's No Time to Die, so a different version of Bond in a different universe is an easy option. A much earlier setting is also possible. Tony Gilroy revealed that he and Steven Soderbergh once pitched a 1960s Bond, and Ralph Fiennes said he had been in talks to play the character and suggested a black-and-white, film noir-style 1950s version. Neither happened, but some fans like the idea of a period piece closer to Ian Fleming's books. For now, the next thing to watch is the casting announcement, expected before the year is out.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical.— Amy Pascal, producer, speaking to Deadline in August
I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory.— Denis Villeneuve, director
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