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A new 007 is on the horizon, but before anyone steps into the tux, someone has to call the shots behind the camera.
For the first time in decades, creative control of the James Bond franchise has shifted. After more than 60 years under the very eyes of Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, Amazon MGM now holds the reins. Producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal are leading the new era. Director meetings are already underway at Heyman’s London home, as the team searches for someone bold enough to reboot Bond for a new age.
There are five directors currently circling Bond 26. Each brings something different, but all of them have the kind of vision that could redefine the iconic franchise. Per Puck’s Matthew Belloni, All Quiet on the Western Front’s Edward Berger’s already pitched. Wonka’s Paul King is expected to follow. Edgar Wright is also in the running. So is Westworld and Fallout showrunner Jonathan Nolan, who’s no stranger to genre reinvention. And then there’s Denis Villeneuve. As Puck says:
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“The meetings are happening right now, actually. In the nearly three months since I first reported that David Heyman and Amy Pascal would be the lead Bond producers, the duo has set get-togethers with several filmmakers vying to make that all-important first film of the post-Broccoli era. …”
The Dune mastermind is reportedly planning to throw his hat in the ring. If selected, it would be a match made in movie heaven. Villeneuve has built a reputation for deep, cerebral blockbusters, and 007 could offer him the playground to blend style, tension, and legacy storytelling. But he’s also balancing Dune: Part Three, which might complicate his availability.
One big name is out, though. Gravity and Harry Potter director Alfonso Cuarón has taken himself out of the running, despite a long-standing connection with Heyman.
The new Bond is still a mystery, but betting sites haven’t slowed down. Aaron Taylor-Johnson remains the hot pick, with Henry Cavill not far behind. Fans still picture Cavill in the tux, but Kraven could give Taylor-Johnson the edge. Villain odds favor Weisz, Ortega, Law, and Farrell. Nothing has been confirmed; it is just speculation, but the possibilities are electric.
Amazon MGM’s Courtenay Valenti and Sue Kroll are keeping things close to the chest, only hinting at “a fresh, exotic new chapter.” So far, so mysterious.
If the director’s locked out this summer, production could start by 2026. That puts a likely release in 2027 or 2028, still within striking distance of the longest Bond gap on record.
The Broccolis are no longer in control, but this shortlist says the legacy isn’t being handed off lightly. James Bond 26 may be a reinvention, but it’s shaping up to be one from the best in the business. Stirred, not shaken, indeed.
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