Newly-appointed producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are in London and already “getting started” on the next James Bond film, Amazon MGM has said.
Having spent billions to gain creative control of the James Bond franchise, Amazon MGM is wasting little time in getting a new film into production. In late March, rumours circulated that the studio planned to get the 26th Bond movie in cinemas by the end of 2027. It now sounds as though that story wasn’t too wide of the mark, as one of the company’s bosses has confirmed that the franchise’s recently-appointed producers are already in London and “getting started”.
The news emerged in what was essentially an apology of absence. Taking the stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Amazon MGM film boss Courtney Valenti explained that producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman – who were appointed on the 25th March – couldn’t join her because they were busy overseas on Bond duties.
“They’re both in London getting started and couldn’t be here tonight, but we wanted to thank them for what we know to make an incredible partnership,” Valenti said, as quoted by Variety. She also described the film they’re working on as “fresh” and “exotic”:
“We are committed to honouring the legacy of this iconic character while bringing a fresh, exotic new chapter to audiences around the world alongside Amy [Pascal] and David [Heyman].”
It’s already four years since No Time To Die – Daniel Craig’s final outing as Bond – emerged in 2021. According to numerous accounts, there has been something of a creative impasse behind the scenes following Amazon’s acquisition of MGM that same year – a deal that included production company EON, owners of the 007 rights.
Podcast | No Time To Die (2021) and Jinx (unmade)
The deadlock was seemingly broken in February 2025, when producers (and EON owners) Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson were paid a reported $1bn in order to cede creative control to Amazon MGM. That deal appeared to fire a starting pistol (or perhaps a Walther PPK) on the franchise, with Pascal and Heyman brought in a month later.
Between them, Pascal and Heyman have worked on such franchises as Harry Potter and Spider-Man, so they’re well placed to oversee a spy thriller movie that commonly takes in global locations, gigantic sets and complicated stunts. There’s much to do before Bond can clamber back into his Aston, though – not least the casting of the lead. It’s highly likely that the producers are mulling over potential actors who could play 007 as these words are being typed.
Then there’s the small matter of finding a director and a screenwriter or two. Amazon MGM is said to have a slate of 16 films planned for release in 2027. By the sounds of things, a new James Bond could be among them.
