Bond is Back and shaping up nicely. In some really exciting and fresh news for James Bond fans, Amazon MGM Studios revealed on Thursday, July 31st, that veteran screen-writer and three-times film director Steven Knight, probably best known for penning the hit British TV crime series Peaky Blinders, will be taking on writing duties for director Denis Villeneuve on the new James Bond movie. And, interestingly, Knight has already given a brief interview about his selection for this prestigious role.
The Peaky Blinders creator gave his first interview about the 007 project to BBC Radio-5’s Live Breakfast show on Friday morning, August 1st, the morning after the announcement, where he said that being involved in a 007 film has ‘always been on my bucket list’. He added: ‘It’s fantastic to be invited to do it. I can’t wait to get started’.
As well as the critically-acclaimed Peaky Blinders, which ran for six series and will also soon be a feature film, Knight’s credits also include the Pablo Larrain films Spencer and Maria, as well as the highly-praised TV shows See and SAS: Rogue Heroes. The crime drama Peaky Blinders (2013-2021), which starred Cillian Murphy, focused on gang warfare in the city of Birmingham in the 1920s and 1930s, and contained some notably strong performances and action-based scenarios. By coincidence, the acclaimed series also had a prominent role for the late Helen McCrory as Polly Gray, the tough matriarch of the Shelby family. McCrory is familiar to Bond aficionadoes for her role as Claire Dowar in the Sam Mendes-directed 007 adventure Skyfall (2012).
Double-0 Heaven
Providing some background on his selection for 007 story writing duties, Knight said he was invited to a meeting with producer Amy Pascal but ‘didn’t know what it was about’. He continued: ‘I very quickly discovered what it was about and became very excited and hopeful. And then the process is… you do some meetings, you discuss some ideas and then you find out you’ve got it. I found out a while ago, but it was announced last night, which is great’.
Asked by the BBC if he felt pressure to deliver on the new Bond film, which, of course, will be the first with Amazon in overall control of the 007 franchise, Knight responded: ‘I’m hoping that being a Bond fan for so many years, that will sort of be imbued into me and I’ll be able to produce something that’s the same but different and better and stronger and bolder’. Inevitably, Knight was also cheekily asked the ultimate question: does he know who the next Bond will be? ‘Very, very good question and one I can’t give you the answer to’, he said, rather coyly. Make of that what you will.
The choice of Steven Knight, who is known for his gritty storylines, together with new director Denis Villeneuve, seems to indicate that the next Bond film will maintain the tough realism of the recent Craig movies. But let’s wait and see. As always, the JBIFC will bring you all the latest news as and when it happens. You know the name, and you know the number. Welcome back, Mr. Bond.
