After Massive James Bond Shakeup, When Will We See Bond 26?

With Amazon assuming creative control over the James Bond franchise, many fans are probably wondering when the next movie featuring 007 will come out. A report in Variety detailing the massive shakeup mentions that development on Bond 26 “has stalled,” which was “a source of frustration at Amazon” after its acquisition of MGM. According to the outlet, there is still no director or script in place for the next Bond movie, which has delayed the process of finding the next actor to headline the franchise. Production on Bond 26 is said to still be “at least a year away.”

“This is the next logical step for the Bond franchise. 007 is the crown jewel in Amazon’s library, and their best hope — in terms of IP — for continued box office success,” Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock said about Amazon taking creative control. “With the old guard, for better or worse, productions took a long time to incubate. That just doesn’t cut it in today’s theatrical marketplace.”

Earlier today, it was announced that Amazon, MGM, and former James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have created a joint venture to share the Bond rights, with Amazon gaining full creative control over the franchise. Previously, Wilson and Broccoli had that power, meaning future Bond projects would not move forward without their approval. While Wilson and Broccoli still have a stake in the franchise, they will not be involved with creative decisions. Wilson is retiring from filmmaking, while Broccoli will pursue other projects.

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Prior to this joint venture, there were reports claiming Wilson and Broccoli were at odds with Amazon over the direction of the Bond franchise, which has not seen a new installment since 2021’s No Time to Die. Over the years, there’s been speculation of a James Bond TV series getting the green light, but Wilson and Broccoli long maintained they were only interested in making feature films.

With Amazon taking the reins on Bond, it seems likely the studio will want to fast track a new movie so it can capitalize on its prized franchise. However, it will still take some time for that film to come to fruition. Filming being “at least” one year away is hardly a concrete window; the earliest fans can expect to see Bond 26 is probably 2027, and that’s if development moves along at a quick pace from this point forward. There’s still a lot of work left to do behind the scenes, and as eager as Amazon is to move forward with a Bond production, it wouldn’t be wise to rush Bond 26. This will be the first 007 movie of a new era, and it’ll be important for it to make a strong impression on audiences.

While fans are (understandably) concerned about the prospect of Amazon oversaturating the marketplace with James Bond content, it’s exciting that Bond 26 may gain some momentum in the near future. This joint venture wouldn’t have happened unless Amazon was ready to move forward on a new film, and it’ll be interesting to see how long it takes for the pieces to fall into place. Hopefully, the studio finds a creative team soon before it works on finding the next actor to play the legendary spy.