The path to James Bond 26 might be clearer following the Amazon MGM deal, but there’s no script, and the movie is a year away from shooting at least.
The shockwaves in the movie industry yesterday were caused by the announcement of a fresh new future for the James Bond franchise. No longer, for the first time in its history, will creative control rest with the Broccoli family. Instead, while Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson remain stakeholders, the creative decisions are now being made by Amazon MGM Studios.
Given that James Bond has remained in limbo since No Time To Die debuted in cinemas back in the autumn of 2021, this is, at least, a breakthrough.
What it doesn’t do is put a new James Bond movie on the fast track though. As much as this is an outcome that’s likely to delight Amazon, where frustration has reportedly been growing about the stalling of 007’s return, the building blocks are still missing. There’s no James Bond as of yet. But also, Variety is reporting that there’s still no script either, and not even an agreed story.
No director is in place to steer the film, and presumably one is required before casting can properly begin. And it’s expected that the earliest a James Bond film can start shooting now is early 2026. That points towards a release at the very, very earliest of the end of 2026, more likely 2027.
Read more: No Prime To Die | What does the Amazon MGM deal mean for the future of James Bond?
At least there’s a path forward though, even if there are questions being asked about whether Amazon MGM will be good stewards of James Bond. It’s expected that, in addition to films, more television spin-offs are going to be on the horizon, although there’s been no confirmation of that of course. The announcement only came through yesterday.
That was enough time for Amazon boss and Donald Trump investor Jeff Bezos to start using his social media accounts to get suggestions for a new James Bond.
After years of no to slow progress, James Bond’s path to the screen has accelerated at least. But there’s still, clearly, a long way to go.
