Credit: MGM/EON ProductionsAmazon MGM Studios’ James Bond is now officially in development. The reboot, dubbed James Bond 26, will cast a new actor as 007, firmly separating itself from the Daniel Craig series, which ran for five films and ended with No Time to Die (2021).
Denis Villeneuve (the Dune films) is directing, Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) is writing the script, and Amy Pascal (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) and David Heyman (the Harry Potter films) are on board as producers.
Nothing has been revealed about the film’s plot or casting, however, Pascal recently told Deadline that we may learn who the new 007 is by the end of this year. “I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical,” she said, adding that the new iteration of Bond has “got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different.”
Meanwhile, Bond is expanding into younger audiences through an entirely separate adventure.
A James Bond Story for Children
The upcoming novel James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy will see a new version of 007 training young MI6 recruits, putting a new generation of young heroes alongside 007. According to the official synopsis from IanFleming.com:
“The series will take the world’s most beloved secret agent to a place of dread, weirdos and strange food: school. A new generation of young heroes, mentored by 007, have entered the Secret Agent Academy to see if they have what it takes to join the ranks of the Double O’s. Together with Bond can they defeat a deadly foe lurking in the shadows – and, more importantly, can they pass their exams?
For existing fans and a new generation of spy adventure readers, this is 007 like you’ve never seen him before.”
Written by bestselling crime and thriller author M.W. Craven, the book is aimed at a younger reading audience (8–12 years old) than the other titles mentioned above.
“While writing a middle-grade book that features James Bond training the secret agents of tomorrow is undoubtedly an extraordinary honour, it also comes with a daunting responsibility,” says Craven.
“Yet this is not James Bond as you’ve seen him before,” he adds. “Expect whacky gadgets, whacky lessons, and even whackier members of staff.”
“This is a James Bond story unlike any other we’ve done: a world of twisted villains, extremely silly names and bizarre gadgets but with a contemporary setting and a cast of young heroes children can relate to,” says Simon Ward, Publishing Director at Ian Fleming Publications.
“For this we needed an author unlike any we’ve had before: M.W. Craven is the perfect combination of fierce intelligence, nail-biting action and mischievous humour. Not only is he the perfect adult thriller writer, it turns out that he is also a born children’s author. This is a series that kids and grownups alike will love. We look forward to welcoming all new recruits.”
James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy was originally scheduled for release in June this year; however, it has now been pushed back to April 22, 2027, which the publisher confirmed on X (Twitter) in March.
Publication date change! @MWCravenUK‘s James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy will now open its doors for students in April 2027. We have a lot planned between now and then so watch this space.
Publication date change!@MWCravenUK‘s James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy will now open its doors for students in April 2027. We have a lot planned between now and then so watch this space. pic.twitter.com/7mDQ2hukwB
— Ian Fleming (@TheIanFleming) March 4, 2026
A New Wave of James Bond Media
James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy is just one of many new 007 novels, each with their own separate continuity.
Kim Sherwood’s Hurricane Room is now available following its release earlier this year. It’s the third entry in her Double O trilogy, which debuted with Double or Nothing and continued with A Spy Like Me.
There’s also Charlie Higson’s upcoming book King Zero, a story that centers on an adult 007 but takes place within the same continuity as the Young Bond series (which includes several titles from both Higson and author Steve Cole). King Zero will be published this September.
Meanwhile, the first entry in the Young Bond series, SilverFin, is currently being adapted into an audio drama, which is set for release in October.
Vaseem Khan’s The Man with the Golden Compass, the second book in The Q Mysteries series following Quantum of Menace, releases this October. However, that series focuses on the character Q, while Bond/007 makes only guest appearances throughout.
Whether the Bond film reboot will take a similar approach to James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy remains to be seen. According to producer Amy Pascal, it has “got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different.” This might translate into the film being aimed at a broader audience rather than revisiting the gritty approach of the Daniel Craig era, however, with a director like Denis Villeneuve and a writer like Steven Knight on board, it’s hard to imagine the new movie being aimed at young children. But never say never (again).
There’s no release date for the untitled Bond film.
How do you feel about James Bond being targeted toward younger audiences? Let us know your thoughts down below!
