With the director now in place, Amazon MGM Studios has hired “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight to write the screenplay for the 26th James Bond film — the first installment since longtime stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson ceded full creative control of the franchise to the studio.
Oscar-nominated “Dune” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is attached to direct the first new installment of the franchise since Daniel Craig’s tenure.
Plans for the new Bond movies are under lock and key, but newly installed producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman made a statement with Villeneuve’s hiring: This new Bond will be stylish. It will be big. And it could even make an awards splash.
This is in contrast to the majority of the films in the 25-movie series, which were largely directed by journeyman filmmakers without signature styles and which kept budgets fairly in check. This choice shows that Amazon aims to take a page out of the “Skyfall” playbook, as the 2012 Bond film — the only one to gross over $1 billion — saw Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes put a prestige stamp on the franchise.
Will this new James Bond film finally introduce a young, inexperience Bond? Or perhaps even tackle 007’s origin story? Plot details are being kept under wraps.
In March, Broccoli’s children, Barbara and Michael, reached a deal on a joint venture with Amazon MGM that would give the studio full creative rights over Bond, ending the Broccoli family’s control over the franchise through their production company Eon Productions. Amazon MGM selected Amy Pascal and David Heyman to serve as the new producers for the Bond series.
Steven Knight is repped by CAA, United Agents and Davis Law Group.
Deadline first reported the news.
