Amazon can already hear the strains of John Barry’s iconic theme paired with that gun barrel shot — the one to which Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig have all leant their figures. CEO Andy Jassey said on a July 31 call (which highlighted his company’s better-than-expected Q3 earning) that “James Bond is in the hands of one of today’s greatest filmmakers,” and adding, “We cannot wait to get started on 007’s next adventure.”
Jassey is referring to none other than Denis Villeneuve, who was announced in June as the next director to take on the franchise — which already has 25 official releases in its canon. Villeneuve will have the unique position of being the first steward to not be collaborating with the Broccoli family, which has overseen every Bond movie since “Dr. No” in 1962.
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How exactly Amazon MGM Studios will handle Bond has been a subject of debate — including in a think piece from IndieWire’s own Christian Blauvelt — but signing on Villeneuve, whose “Dune” series and “Arrival” earned a bevy of Oscar nominations, seems to indicate a commitment to properly stewarding the next 007 incarnation.
In June, Villeneuve — who will start work on “Bond 26” after he finishes up “Dune: Messiah” — described himself as a major Bond-head, releasing the statement: “Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since ‘Dr. No’ with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust.”
Major speculation has proliferated online as to whom might take on the iconic role next, with most of that discourse centering around the rumored involvement of Tom Holland. “Listen, there’s speculation at the minute,” Holland told Gordon Ramsay on the chef’s YouTube series. “We’ll keep it to a minimum for now… we’ll get there one day.”
Holland has taken a significant break from on-screen roles in order to recharge. He has not been seen on movie screens since the 2022 release of “Uncharted,” and on TV screens since the 2023 Apple TV+ miniseries “The Crowded Room.”
“I feel really blessed to be at a point in my career where I can take time off, reset, and come back ready to go,” he told British GQ. “You can’t be in every movie, and you can’t do your best work when you’re burnt out. What I’ve learnt is that it’s important to set boundaries – to be mindful about overworking. I’ve got a slightly busy year next year, and then I’ll probably take a bit more time off in 2027. We’ll see.”
Holland has a busy summer 2026 on the way, however, with next July bringing both “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which he teased on Instagram on August 2.
On July 31, IndieWire reported that “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight would pen the screenplay for “Bond 26,” which does not yet have a release date or title.
