When Will James Bond 26 Release? New Details Explain Delay

Image: Amazon Prime Video

It’s been over three years since audiences across the globe saw Daniel Craig’s James Bond meet his noble end in 2021’s No Time to Die, but we’re no closer to finding out who will pick up the mantle of 007, let alone a release date for the spy franchise’s 26th installment.

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, the development of the next James Bond movie is on ice after a falling out between Amazon, which obtained the rights to the franchise with its acquisition of MGM in 2022, and producer Barbara Broccoli.

Broccoli reportedly doesn’t like the different routes Amazon wants to pursue for Bond, with the e-commerce and media giant suggesting tie-ins and spin-offs of the original films, including TV shows. Amazon executives reportedly referring to Bond as “content” in one meeting also didn’t sit well with Broccoli, who has spent years nurturing the character onscreen.

Broccoli heads EON Productions — the production company behind the Bond series — alongside her half-brother Michael G. Wilson. She has creative control over the character and the story, and so far hasn’t been able to see eye to eye with Amazon on the series’ future direction.

Broccoli “has told friends she doesn’t trust algorithm-centric Amazon with a character she helped to mythologize through big-screen storytelling and gut instinct,” the WSJ report said. The publication also claimed Broccoli believes she “can hold Bond hostage from Amazon for as long as she sees fit.”

British-born Aaron Taylor-Johnson was previously rumoured to be in the running to play the next Bond and reportedly even screen-tested for the role, but there hasn’t been any official word on casting.

Broccoli is said to be open to casting a person of colour or a gay actor to succeed Craig’s Bond but opposed to a female or non-British Bond. Amazon, meanwhile, is resistant to the idea of casting a relatively unknown actor for the blockbuster part, deepening the rift between the two parties.

Per the report, the relationship between Amazon and Broccoli “has all but collapsed” and “the franchise hasn’t moved any closer to its next installment” in three years.

If you were looking forward to finding out who Daniel Craig will pass the tuxedo on to anytime soon, don’t hold your breath. In the meantime, check out this fan-made trailer for James Bond 26 imagining Henry Cavill as the titular British spy:

What’s your head-canon for who the next James Bond should be? Let us know in the comments below.