James Bond casting rumors were all wrong as a report reveals the status of Daniel Craig’s successor search while Amazon announces their takeover. Amazon is taking over the James Bond franchise, with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson selling creative control of the spy franchise to the company. This comes as the upcoming Bond 26 remains in production, with Amazon MGM Studios taking over in developing the next installment of the franchise. Their takeover will also involve finding the next actor to take up the mantle of the main character.
Now, a report from Puck reveals that rumors about casting the next James Bond had all been wrong. According to the report, Broccoli had met with multiple potential candidates to take over as the main character, but none of them had made any significant progress in getting the role. This includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who became a popular rumored actor to take over the series. In reality, Broccoli wasn’t sure how the next Bond should even present himself, questioning what to do after Craig’s iteration of the spy.
What James Bond’s Latest Casting Report Says About The Franchise
The Series Didn’t Have A Direction After Craig
No Time to Die ended with Bond dying in an explosion, closing the door on Craig’s version of the character while allowing for a fresh start for whoever came next. While Taylor-Johnson was a popular pick that was continually rumored to be taking up the mantle next, this latest report shows that no progress was being made regarding his potential takeover of the character. The same goes for anyone else in the running, with Broccoli unsure what direction to take the series with a new face leading the charge.
Despite Broccoli’s own frustrations with Amazon, viewing their model as one of “content” above art, the studio’s takeover means they’ll likely be able to push the franchise forward with a quicker production start. This means finding the next James Bond might happen more quickly, with CEO Jeff Bezos already polling the public online about who they want to see in the role. Although there’s no indication how long it’ll take to find another 007, the control being given to a company that actively wants to make another movie can help push Bond 26 in a definitive direction.
Amazon has already produced one James Bond spinoff, the reality TV series 007: Road to a Million, which has been renewed for season 2.
Our Take On James Bond’s Casting Issues
A Definitive Decision Will Now Be Made
Bond’s casting getting stuck during development of the next entry explains the many years without information on how the next installment was coming along. Although there’s no concrete information about who Amazon will cast yet, their creative control and prioritization of creating new content means it might not be long until James Bond finds its new lead. How carefully they’ll be choosing who will take up this historic mantle, however, remains unknown.
Source: Puck
