The fate of the James Bond franchise gets an update with Amazon’s decision to hand over producing duties for the 26th 007 movie to Amy Pascal and David Heyman.
After wrestling the James Bond franchise away from longtime stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael J. Wilson, Amazon are getting a move on.
After reports of the new James Bond film being “fast-tracked” for a 2027 release, Amazon are wasting no time and have found a producing replacement in the shape of veteran prooducers Amy Pascal and David Heyman.
Pascal is best known for her work on Sony’s Spider-Man cinematic franchise and other Bond films including Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall – the latter being the only 007 film to pass the $1billion mark at the global box office. Pascal is producing Greta Gerwig’s highly-anticipated Narnia prequel for Netflix.
For his part, Heyman produced all eight of Warner Bros.’ live-action Harry Potter films and is currently working on HBO Max’s reimagined Harry Potter series.
Pascal and Heyman issued a statement saying: “We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson who made so many extraordinary films and honored and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure.”
Pascal is producing via Pascal Pictures, while Heyman is producing through Heyday Films.
“We are approaching every creative decision with James Bond, which Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have so masterfully steered, with the greatest sense of responsibility,” said Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of Film, Courtenay Valenti. “Part of an elite group of producers who have developed and managed massive film franchises to box office success and critical acclaim, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are two of the most accomplished, experienced, and respected film producers in our industry. We are honored to be working with them on James Bond’s next chapter and are excited to deliver to global audiences storytelling that upholds the impeccable legacy of this beloved character.”
Entrusting the new Bond movie to two producers who are well versed in big franchises is a smart move on Amazon’s part. The next step is announcing who will write and direct the next untitled James Bond adventure, and the hunt is still on for who will replace Daniel Craig as the new 007.
Craig’s final outing as the spy in No Time To Die made $774m worldwide. He played the character in five commercially successful films which completely revitalised the franchise. Henry Cavill seems to be the people’s choice for the new 007, while there were reports that Aaron Taylor-Johnson had landed the role.
Frequently mentioned names include James Norton, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Richard Madden, Rege-Jean Page and Tom Hardy, adn popular bookies picks at the moment also include Triangle of Sadness and Babygirl star Harris Dickinson, Challengers actor Josh O’Connor, Slow Horses star Jack Lowden and Gladiator II leading man Paul Mescal.
When it comes to directing, British filmmaker Christopher Nolan had previously expressed interest in making a Bond instalment, but the deal-breaker had always been that Nolan retains final cut on his projects, something which did not sit well with Broccoli.
Nolan is currently filming his next epic, The Odyssey, so the timing will not work out – especially if Amazon are in a rush.
One rumoured name for the director’s chair is Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón (Roma, Gravity, Children of Men). Speculation will only grow regarding Cuarón, as Heyman has a working relationship with him, having produced Gravity and the Harry Potter adventure The Prisoner of Azkaban.
While the identity of the new Bond is still a mystery, it’s a pretty safe bet that Cuarón will direct the 26th adventure. And that’s no bad thing.
