Now pay very close attention, 007. According to an official statement from Amazon-MGM, together with some fresh news reports published on 14-15 May, the casting process for the new actor who will play James Bond has officially begun.
The very welcome news comes after a long period of anticipation, rumour and speculation about who will inherit the iconic role after the departure of Daniel Craig as 007. It has been 15 months since Amazon MGM Studios took control of the James Bond franchise from EON Productions and the lack of official news has inevitably led to some bizarre media headlines and silly claims to fill the seeming news vacuum. But the new official statement will now inject some better reliability into the situation.
‘The search for the next James Bond is under way’, Amazon MGM Studios said in a short statement. ‘While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right’, the official Amazon statement added. Moreover, auditions have been taking place in recent weeks, according to the respected Hollywood industry outlet Variety. In addition, Variety also reported that the highly-respected British exec Nina Gold, one of Hollywood’s leading casting directors, who has worked on the Paddington, Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Mamma Mia! franchises, is conducting the search for a new lead actor.
It has been five years, of course, since the release of No Time To Die, Craig’s final film as the most famous spy in cinema history, and Bond fans and movie industry experts naturally remain keen to learn more about the creative direction the franchise will now take and which actor will inherit the coveted crown. The studio has already officially announced that the next James Bond adventure, number 26 in the smash-hit series, will be directed by Dune‘s Denis Villeneuve and written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. It will be produced by the veteran duo Amy Pascal and David Heyman.
The JBIFC will bring you any further news as soon as it become available. Watch this space. You know the name and you know the number.
