Bond … James Bond will remain male, per Ian Fleming’s original character, and—importantly—he’ll be British. Deadline reports that Denis Villeneuve will officially begin the search for the next James Bond once he wraps Dune: Part Three next year. So who’s gonna be the new 007? Well, we know who it won’t be. Sources stress that Villeneuve and his collaborators, including producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal, are looking for a “fresh face” in his late 20s or early 30s. The ideal candidate is described in Fleming’s words as “a blunt instrument” and “an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened”—a figure whose lethality comes first. Not exactly an ideal leading man, though, but we digress. What does this mean? Well… That means a lot of popular names are instantly out of the running. Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler, Glen Powell, Jacob Elordi, and others who don’t hail from the British Isles aren’t eligible. Sorry, y’all. And older favorites like Tom Hardy (47), Idris Elba (53), and Henry Cavill (42) no longer fit the direction Villeneuve is leaning toward. Even younger fan picks like Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jack Lowden will be 37 by the time filming begins in 2027—perhaps too old for what they want to do.
What Will Denis Villeneuve’s Bond Be About?
Screenwriter Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Eastern Promises, SAS Rogue Heroes) is said to be taking Bond back to his literary roots, drawing inspiration from Fleming’s earliest novels. Sources say the script may explore Bond’s Royal Navy Commander past and chart how he first attained 007 status, so it’s an actual origin story rather than Casino Royale’s first mission? An insider is quoted as saying: “Whoever it is has to look like he could kill you with his bare hands in a trice. From the moment you see him, that has to be readily apparent.” Jack Reacher as James Bond it is, then. Villeneuve’s Bond 26 is expected to film in 2027 and release in 2028, likely in the franchise’s traditional November slot. The film will not follow No Time to Die, which concluded with Bond’s death. Instead, it’s a clean slate—new Bond, new start, new everything. Bond hopefuls are already flooding in—“every name you’ve heard of, and many you’ve never heard of,” according to one insider—but the actual process won’t begin until Villeneuve finishes his sand-swept odyssey on Arrakis. As is written.

Release Date

October 8, 2021

Runtime

163 Minutes

Director

Cary Joji Fukunaga

Franchise(s)

James Bond