The wait for the next 007 may not stretch on for much longer, according to producer Amy Pascal.
In a new interview with Deadline, Pascal revealed that the announcement of who’ll play James Bond could very well come before 2026 wraps up. "I would say the end of the year is a good bet," Pascal said.
Pascal offered some insight into why the search has been so deliberate. "We are being really, really methodical," she said. "Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow. And it's got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different."
Pascal and producing partner David Heyman assumed creative control of the Bond franchise in 2025 after Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson stepped back from the series. Amazon MGM's buyout of the full Bond rights from Broccoli and Wilson was valued at $20 million.
Director Denis Villeneuve and the producing team have already notified actors for a final round of auditions set for August, per Euronews. Amazon MGM confirmed the process was formally underway in June, saying in an official statement that the studio is "excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."
Names circulating in the press include Callum Turner (Masters of the Air), Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jacob Elordi, Jack Lowden, Louis Partridge, Harris Dickinson, and Patrick Gibson, who voiced Bond in the video game 007 First Light.
Bond 26 is targeting a 2028 release, with production expected to begin in 2027. Villeneuve will head into the shoot fresh off Dune: Part Three, which arrives in theaters on Dec. 19.
