Barbara Broccoli, one of the producers of the James Bond franchise, has revealed that casting the next actor to play the titular British Secret Service agent has not yet begun. The filmmaker also shared that development on the script for the 26th installment in the movie series hasn’t begun, either, during a red carpet interview at Sunday’s BAFTA Film Awards with LADbible.
The news comes after Daniel Craig most recently portrayed the 007 spy, with his last portrayal of the character being in 2021’s No Time to Die. Even before the movie’s release, there was speculation amongst fans of the series about who would take over the role from the BAFTA Film Award-nominated English actor.
Craig’s tenure as 007 lasted 15 years. He first played Bond in the critically-acclaimed 2006 movie, Casino Royale, and then returned for four sequels, including Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die.
Craig’s five-film run was the first time Eon Productions, which serves as a production company on the films, offered audiences insight into the character’s personal life. Craig’s tenure was also notable for featuring the first on-screen death of Bond, which happened near the end of No Time to Die.
Such performers as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Idris Elba and fellow English actor Jack O’Connell have emerged as favorites amongst the franchise’s fans. However, Broccoli has previously stated that Eon Productions wouldn’t begin looking for the next actor to play 007 until sometime later this year.
The producer did confirm that the anticipated movie isn’t as far along into development as fans previously thought. She stated: “No, we haven’t even started casting yet. There isn’t even a script.”
One of the series’ other producers, Michael G. Wilson also commented on fans’ opinions about casting for the character. He reminded viewers that Bond is an experienced mature veteran. So to qualify for the role, an actor will need to be at least in his 30s, which narrows the pool slightly by eliminating such fan choices as Tom Holland and Jacob Elordi.
Broccoli also noted that despite fan interest in British actress Lashana Lynch, who played Nomi in No Time to Die, Bond will remain male.
With no script or cast, details about Bond 26 have been scarce. But Broccoli’s recent update is in line with her previous statements about the anticipated action movie.
Last summer, the producer stated that the drama was still at least two years away from filming. If production starts in 2024 and things move quickly, the movie would be distributed in mid-to-late 2025 at the earliest, but a 2026 release date seems more probable.
Broccoli has also divulged some information about the nature of Bond 26‘s premise. One of the reasons why the script, casting and filming are so far off is that the movie has big plans for the eponymous character.
The filmmaker explained that a screenplay can’t be prepared until the production crew decides what they want to do with the character. But that may be a bit challenging because she and her fellow producers want the franchise’s next entry to completely reinvent Bond. So rather than being a continuation of the series or a rehashing of the franchise’s signature plot points, Bond 26 will reboot the series in certain respects that will change the way viewers perceive the protagonist.
One reinvention that some fans are hoping to see in the next screen adaptation of the Bond franchise is more realistic villains. Chris Fenton, author and president of DMG Entertainment Motion Picture Group, recently stated that he would like to see the protagonists of action series like Bond to tackle realistic, modern-day villains. But at this time, it’s unknown what direction Eon Productions will take the Bond franchise next.
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