While we continue to wait for that fateful day when the next actor chosen to play James Bond is announced, a new rumor has emerged that claims to reveal what this new Bond will be doing when he struts onto the big screen. The next iteration of 007, which will be the 26th installment in the long-running action franchise, is set to be helmed by Dune director Denis Villeneuve, with Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight on script duty. And we may now know what the pair, alongside Amazon MGM, have in store for the iconic spy.
Now, we advise that you take this with a hefty pinch of salt, as The Sun is reporting that mysterious sources have revealed James Bond will go up against the threat of artificial intelligence, or AI, when he makes his triumphant return. The mole revealed…
“This is the first Bond of the AI era and the plot is going to reflect that. Writers are going to have some fun. This next Bond movie has to feel bold, fresh and relevant — especially after such a long break.”
How “bold” and “fresh” this is is arguable, as several movies and franchises, including Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible series, have already tackled the dangers of AI. However, with Bond often dealing with geopolitical and technological issues of the day, it would make sense that Villeneuve and Knight want to continue this trend, while hopefully bringing a new perspective to the deluge of AI-related stories. Though it’s difficult to ignore the implications of Bond battling AI while under the creative control of a major corporation looking to expand its use of it…
The 007 Reboot Will Aim to “Modernise Bond Without Losing That Classic Swagger”
The “mole” went on to reveal more insight into what Denis Villeneuve and Amazon have planned for 007, with the director and studio reportedly hoping to “modernise” the character and franchise while maintaining the “classic swagger” that Bond has become known and adored for.
“There’s a sense of cautious excitement behind the scenes. They want to modernise Bond without losing that classic swagger — and that’s a tricky balance. Denis isn’t coming in to make a safe Bond film — he’s coming in to redefine what Bond can be. Think scale, style and substance.”
The James Bond era has consistently modernized in line with the times, with the Daniel Craig era bringing a grit and gruffness to the franchise following more grounded action thrillers such as The Bourne Identity. Not only that, the Craig era also shifted the spy technologically, leaving more zany gadgets behind, and gave “Bond Girls” more prominent roles, making several of them action heroes that can go toe-to-toe with Bond. It remains to be seen how Villeneuve and Knight will similarly achieve this “tricky balance.”
What we do know for sure about the next James Bond is that Villeneuve and Amazon are looking for an unknown British actor with the hopes of giving 007 a “fresh face.” Amazon has now taken the reins of the James Bond franchise after reportedly purchasing creative control of the classic series for a mere $20 million. Far less than the $1 billion that was originally reported.