Credit: MGM/EON ProductionsThe next James Bond movie is moving forward at Amazon MGM Studios, with a new actor set to replace Daniel Craig as the iconic British spy following his five-film tenure.
The currently untitled 26th installment, commonly referred to as James Bond 26, will launch a brand-new era for the franchise following Craig’s final appearance in No Time to Die (2021).
Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) is directing the film, with Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) writing the screenplay, while producers include Amy Pascal (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) and David Heyman (Harry Potter).
Now, Villeneuve has offered a rare update on the search for the next 007, telling GQ that casting is still underway, while emphasizing the huge pressure the team is under to deliver a great film.
Related: All 9 James Bond Actors Ranked From Worst To Best — Plus the Official New 007 Actor
Denis Villeneuve Addresses James Bond Casting
Speaking to GQ at a special screening and conversation at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, Villeneuve acknowledged the pressure of taking on the franchise, saying, “We cannot f**k it up. We do not have the choice.”
He was then asked directly whether the role had been filled. “It’s—it’s in the process. In the process,” the filmmaker replied. “I am pushing the gas.”
The interviewer then tried to get a little more information, jokingly asking Villeneuve to blink once if Robert Pattinson (The Batman) had landed the role, and twice for Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them).
Villeneuve didn’t blink, leaving fans without a clear indication of either actor’s chances.
Other actors linked to the role are Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) and Josh O’Connor (Disclosure Day). However, O’Connor may already have withdrawn from consideration. According to a source who spoke to The Daily Mail (via The Independent), the actor has turned down the role, although neither O’Connor nor Amazon MGM Studios has confirmed the report.
The casting picture remains uncertain, particularly after reports that Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult (Superman, 2025) recently screen-tested for the part.
For now, Villeneuve isn’t revealing who could inherit James Bond’s licence to kill. But with the director saying he’s accelerating the process, the search for Craig’s successor is moving forward.
We may even find out before 2027, as Amy Pascal told Deadline in August that “the end of the year is a good bet” for finding out who the new actor is, before adding that the new iteration of the character has “got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different.”
Who would you like to see become the next James Bond? Let us know in the comments!
