In the much-anticipated film “No Time to Die,” Daniel Craig famously tells Léa Seydoux, “We have all the time in the world.” However, the reality is quite different as Amazon has now enlisted Denis Villeneuve as the director for the 26th James Bond film. With this significant change, the pace of production is set to accelerate, although insiders indicate that fans will have to wait until 2028 for the film’s official release. According to sources, anything sooner would be challenging given the film's ambitious scale, and Amazon has opted not to comment on these developments.
French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve has emerged victorious in a competitive selection process, surpassing four prominent European filmmakers: Edward Berger, Edgar Wright, Paul King, and Jonathan Nolan. As Amazon prepares to kick off production, the focus will shift quickly to securing a writer and then casting the next actor to embody the iconic Agent 007. Insiders report that Amazon is particularly interested in casting a British actor under the age of 30 for this pivotal role.
Among the top contenders for the role of James Bond are Jacob Elordi, known for his performance in “Saltburn,” Tom Holland from the Spider-Man series, and Harris Dickinson from "Babygirl." Although Jacob Elordi is Australian, this is not seen as a deal-breaker, as previous Bond actor George Lazenby also hailed from Australia and starred in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”
While there has been speculation regarding Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Henry Cavill as potential successors to Craig, their ages—35 and 42, respectively—make them unlikely candidates under Amazon’s casting criteria. Additionally, fan-favorite Idris Elba, who is currently 52, has consistently distanced himself from Bond speculation over the years.
Alfonso Cuarón was an early frontrunner for the director’s position, with Bond producer David Heyman advocating for his involvement due to their successful collaboration on the third “Harry Potter” film. However, Cuarón chose to withdraw from consideration, opting to focus on other projects, including the upcoming Charlize Theron film “Jane.” This film is also moving rapidly through development at Amazon, with a script being penned by Jack Thorne, known for the “Enola Holmes” trilogy.
Initially, Amazon expressed keen interest in Christopher Nolan, the brother of Jonathan Nolan, for the directorial role. This would have required breaking a long-standing tradition of not allowing a Bond director to have final cut. Historically, the Broccoli family has maintained tight control over the franchise’s creative direction, but they relinquished some of this control earlier this year, retaining only a financial stake in the property.
Nonetheless, Nolan is currently engaged with his next project, “The Odyssey,” which stars Tom Holland, and he is expected to be unavailable for Bond for at least a year. Meanwhile, Denis Villeneuve is also busy preparing for the filming of “Dune: Messiah,” with plans for a December 2026 release. Notably, Villeneuve's deal with the Bond franchise is a one-off, meaning he is not committed to a sequel and will not have final cut privileges. The last director to handle two Bond films consecutively was Sam Mendes, with “Skyfall” in 2012 and “Spectre” in 2015.
Amazon is currently compiling a shortlist of writers tasked with shaping the future narrative of the iconic character, who has been given new life under Amazon's ownership after decades with MGM. One intriguing possibility is that Jonathan Nolan, whose initial pitch for the project received a warm welcome at Amazon, might pen the screenplay. However, despite his strong relationship with the studio through the series “Fallout,” sources indicate that Nolan may not be available for this project.
