James Bond 26 is in development at Amazon MGM, but it’s looking certain to break one old 007 record. It’s been a tumultuous period for the franchise ever since Daniel Craig left the tux behind, as Amazon completed its takeover, eventually buying full creative control from the Broccoli family, who had owned the rights since the very beginning. Combined with reports of behind-the-scenes drama that eventually led to that point, and coming off the back of James Bond being killed off in No Time To Die, then things have really been shaken up heading into the next installment.
It’s no surprise, then, that it’s taking quite a while to happen. We’re already four years removed from No Time To Die, and while Bond 26 has a director in Denis Villeneuve, plus a writer in Stephen Knight, there’s no sign of production beginning anytime soon. It doesn’t have a finished script, nor is there a new 007 actor in place (despite a lot of scuttlebutt). That means it’s all but guaranteed to have the longest gap between movies in Bond history, which is currently the six years, four months from Licence to Kill to GoldenEye. The gap from Spectre to No Time To Die comes close, at just under six years.
James Bond 26 Taking A Long Time Is Good For 007’s Future
To avoid that record, James Bond 26 would need to release by early 2028. That’s not impossible, but it does seem implausible right now, especially as Villeneuve is busy with Dune: Part Three (which has just wrapped, but will have a lengthy post-process, possibly some reshoots, and then a massive global press tour and awards campaign). The latest update on Bond 26‘s release suggested that 2028 would be more likely and, if that’s the case, it’s fair to assume it’ll go in the second half of the year: Bond movies almost always release in October-November, and you have to go back to Licence to Kill (1989) to find the last time 007 made an attempt at summer blockbuster season.
However, this needn’t be a bad thing – and indeed, those other gaps are a good sign. Bond came back strong with GoldenEye, which (as is often the case with a new 007) needed to revitalize the franchise. Somewhat similarly, No Time To Die was an improvement on Spectre, giving Craig’s spy strong sendoff. Given that we’re now in arguably the biggest period of change in James Bond’s entire history, it should be reassuring that things aren’t being rushed, and that instead the time is taken to get the story right, find the right actor, and make the best Bond movie possible.
This should also alleviate some concerns over Amazon’s control of the franchise. With the absence of the Broccoli family, there was an understandable worry that this would be over-franchised; that it would be milked for all its worth with prequels, spinoffs, and any other tie-ins they could churn out. Some of that may still happen (in fact, it almost certainly will), but that the focus remains on delivering the theatrical experience, and they’ve hired one of the best directors working today to do so, is at least a good sign, and means James Bond 26 should be worth the wait.
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