The wait for the next James Bond movie is going to be a long one. Franchise producer Barbara Broccoli confirmed to Deadline that production on the 26th Bond movie is at least two years away, if not longer. The wait makes sense given Broccoli and her team have to find a replacement for Daniel Craig, who finished his run as 007 with the fall 2021 release of “No Time to Die.”
“Nobody’s in the running,” Broccoli said when asked about Craig’s successor. “We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through. There isn’t a script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away.”
Four years separated the release of Pierce Brosnan’s final Bond outing, 2002’s “Die Another Day,” and Craig’s debut, 2006’s “Casino Royale.” Several names have been thrown out as possible replacements for Craig, from Idris Elba to “Bridgerton” breakout Regé-Jean Page, but Broccoli stressed the search hasn’t even begun in an official capacity. The producer spent much of the “No Time to Die” press tour in fall 2021 saying the search for the next Bond would not even begin until well into 2022.
Whichever actor does replace Craig will have a lot riding on his shoulders. Craig successfully revitalized the Bond franchise with his five-film run. “Skyfall” earned over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, while “Spectre” and “No Time to Die” were also heavy hitters with $880 million and $774 million, respectively.
“It’s a big decision,” Broccoli told Variety earlier this year at the opening of the Craig-starring “Macbeth” on Broadway. “It’s not just casting a role. It’s about a whole rethink about where we’re going.”