Steven Knight, the screenwriter of the new James Bond film, has revealed that the next 007 has been cast – and hinted that he’s been writing with the actor in mind. Peaky Blinders creator Knight is currently writing the 26th Bond film, which will reboot the franchise with a new actor in the lead role, and he suggested his job recently got a little easier when he found out who producers had chosen as the man for the most coveted role in cinema. Days after Gary Oldman claimed that producers had already decided who would play the British spy, Knight appeared on Radio 4’s Today programme, and was asked whether he had written the film with the chosen actor in mind or based on what he already knew about the character.
Other mooted frontrunners for the part include rising star Jack Barton (Heartstopper), Callum Turner (One Night Only), Jacob Elordi (Wuthering Heights), and Harris Dickinson (Babygirl). The decision is being made by Amy Pascal and David Heyman, as well as Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who will direct the film. Knight said that he’s “trying to shut out” the frenzied interest in the project, which will be the first Bond film since long-time producer Barbara Broccoli handed the keys for the Aston Martin over to Amazon.
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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.” Knight said he “feels a responsibility to” author Ian Fleming’s source material”. The last Bond film to be produced was 2021’s No Time to Die, which served as Craig’s fifth and final outing as the spy.
The new film is not expected to start shooting until Villeneuve has released Dune: Part 3 in December. Speaking to The Independent back in June, casting director Debbie McWilliams, who helped select previous Bond actors such as Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Craig, said that “it is absolutely essential that [Bond] retains a total enigma”. We don’t need to know where he goes shopping or who his parents are, or where he lives … He’s licensed to kill, and we have to believe that he can do that.
If you don’t, then you’ve lost the audience.” Last week, Rory Kinnear, who played the supporting character of Bill Tanner in the Craig era of Bond films, spoke about the possibility of returning to 007 for the reboot. The actor, who featured in four Bond films, said he was hopeful that the new entry would retain a degree of “continuity” with Craig’s run. But there’ll be a whole different approach.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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