r/movies • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 r/movies Contributor • 22h ago
News New James Bond Movie: First Draft of the Script Is Done, Says Steven Knight
https://variety.com/2026/film/global/james-bond-movie-first-draft-script-done-steven-knight-1236858810/234
u/Outkast_IRE 22h ago
I will probably get slaughtered here but I find a lot of his output to date a bit mediocre in terms of storytelling but well supported in terms of costume, visuals, editing etc.
Honestly not sure how it will turn out.
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u/A_Fistful_of_Upvotes 22h ago
Hopefully because this is James Bond he’s taking this more seriously. a lot of eyes on this
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u/TheWatersOfMars 22h ago
I don't think that's quite fair. Whether you like his stuff or not, his scripts feel like he's poured a lot of love and hard work into them. His recent Christmas Carol adaptation and the show A Thousand Blows, for instance, aren't exactly lazy efforts.
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u/1shmeckle 22h ago edited 22h ago
A lot of out his output is mediocre but he also has some that is at least pretty good (Taboo, Locke, Eastern Promises). Lots of folks also love Peaky Blinders, even though I think it's quite overrated. In either case, seems like someone that at his best could produce a very entertaining Bond movie.
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u/OK-Greg-7 21h ago
Peaky Blinders was great, except for the last season, and that horrific movie which played like a series of music videos.
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u/the_ballmer_peak 10h ago
Taboo was a great series. Eastern Promises is one of my all time favorite movies, though I credit th me acting for most of that.
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u/TerminatorReborn 22h ago
He is only the writer? The director is far from mediocre, might as well be the best director in the world they could've hired, and I'm sure he has some input in the script
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u/nick182002 21h ago
Yeah, Sicario is as good as it is because of Denis' influence on the script. Bond is in good hands.
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u/nearcatch 20h ago
He cut out like 90% of Alejandro’s dialogue, iirc. Greatly improved the character by saying more with less.
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u/TalkinTrek 17h ago
Was he the one that made Blunt's character a woman or did I hallucinate that?
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u/nearcatch 16h ago
I’ve never heard that, but if it’s true then it was a very early decision, because Emily Blunt was the first major actor attached to the movie, even before Brolin and Del Toro joined. But I did read that he changed the script so that Blunt’s character wasn’t SA’d by Alejandro in the apartment scene at the end.
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u/the_ballmer_peak 10h ago
This explains a lot. I don't know much about Taylor Sheridan, but it does seem like most of his output is hot garbage.
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u/Outkast_IRE 22h ago
Yeah I'm hoping D.V elevates and moulds whatever the first draft is ,into something epic.
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u/drmuffin1080 21h ago
He’s a huge reason as to why Sicario is so good (also Benicio)
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u/TerminatorReborn 16h ago
Yeah a lot of people said the Sicario script was cringe macho stuff, interesting how Denis saw the potential
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u/hopeless_dick_dancer 22h ago
I’m kind of amazed that Villenueve would be okay with Knight writing this lol
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u/tetoffens 21h ago
Denis is one of the most acclaimed directors in the world. It's more likely that he literally chose him rather than just be okay with it.
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u/APiousCultist 21h ago
One of his best films was written by the Yellowstone and Landman guy. This is way less of an issue than you guys are making out.
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u/owned2260 21h ago
I know it’s cool to hate on Paramount-Taylor Sheridan but he started out on a great run with Sicario, Hell or High Water and Wind River, all with different directors (directed Wind River himself), that shows that Sicario wasn’t a fluke that was elevated by Villenueve.
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u/hopeless_dick_dancer 21h ago
Sicario’s script is crazy good and Taylor Sheridan is a great writer, he just took a fat bag and got lazy.
But yeah, I think Dennis can take most scripts and make it great, without a doubt.
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u/Honesty_Addict 22h ago
It's honestly bizarre. Projects like this have the budget to bring in some of the best writers in the world, and as a rule they defer to jobbing uninspired writers whose defining characteristic is that they can turn in a project on time.
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u/mastermidget23 22h ago edited 22h ago
To this day I'll never understand the trend of tackling a major franchise and leaving the writers as a low priority. Disney spending billions to acquire star wars and then not hiring anyone to write at least an outline for the sequel trilogy was the dumbest move.
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u/mozilla2012 2h ago
The way they fumbled the sequel trilogy is incredible to me. I'd love a documentary about how it was fucked up from the inside.
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u/TheWatersOfMars 21h ago
Come on, Steven Knight is hardly a jobbing, uninspired writer. This isn't an Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci situation. It's unusual that someone primarily known for TV is heading a franchise like this, but he's an extremely in-demand writer known for creating one of the most famous shows of the century. This is them trying to bring in (to their mind) one of the best writers in the world.
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u/DukeofVermont 20h ago
Also it might be action focused and he has to write around that vs making everything up.
It's a lot harder when you're given big action scenes and you have to figure out how to fit them in. I feel like the last couple mission impossible films had this problem. Cool scenes, but trust us he has to ride off that cliff and parachute! Or the airplane fight.
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u/FullGuarantee4767 21h ago
I wouldn’t be surprised if Villeneuve has some of his writing collaborators from Dune take a pass. This thing will have at least a few drafts before they have a shooting script.
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u/cappsy04 22h ago
I said to a pal he's like the British Tyler Sheridan. Although Tyler has a lot more trash.
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u/Cutter9792 22h ago
Hopefully we get a Sicario situation where Denis Villeneuve can wrangle an often hit-or-miss screenwriter's script into something great.
If you look at the many of his films and their attached screenwriters, a lot of the time their earlier output kind of a mixed bag until DV's film, which is usually the best thing they've been associated with (in my opinion).
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u/Locoman7 22h ago
It's Denis, he does not miss.
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u/bsEEmsCE 22h ago
Denis will fix anything they get wrong, before, during, and post
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u/Locoman7 22h ago
He's literally been touched by God that man, Dune part 3 is going to win Best Picture.
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u/Blursed_Pencil 21h ago
Absolutely zero chance Dune 3 wins best picture and this is coming from someone who already has a ticket to a 70mm showing in January.
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u/bsEEmsCE 21h ago
Return of the King won it and was kind of like in honor of the trilogy
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u/Outkast_IRE 22h ago
Yeah , I would be a big fan myself . Let's see how many drafts, cowriters etc. it goes through before getting to an acceptable state.
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u/nbdelboy 15h ago
someone will absolutely be re-writing the script before production, which makes him a far more palatable choice for me. i pretty much entirely agree with you, but also think he has the potential to carry the baton for some interesting ideas before passing it on to someone else to hash out into something stronger
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u/Alarmed_Drop7162 1h ago
Hard agree. Character actors lift his work up.
The immortal man was TERRIBLE
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u/Simpicity 22h ago
First Draft of the Script is a terrible name for a Bond movie.
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u/bsEEmsCE 22h ago
Weird Al does the theme song
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u/Simpicity 22h ago
Because maybe
you're gonna be the one that saves me.
And after all
You're my Thunderball...
du-dun du-dun dun dun...
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u/BBQ_HaX0r 20h ago
I'm an Oasis fan so I'm biased, but I think they could do a pretty good Bond Song.
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u/internetlad 17h ago
Co-written by Mel Brooks.
Bond gets an armored yarmulke and a 9 shot trick menorah from Q.
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u/Aduialion 22h ago
Draft another day
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u/Simpicity 22h ago
No Time to Draft
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u/OtakuTacos 22h ago
Octopussydraft
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u/APiousCultist 21h ago
Pussydraft can stay not being a word, thank you very much.
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u/Focused_Sky 22h ago
Let me guess, it’s going to take another 3 years to finally pick the next Bond
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u/kroqus 22h ago
Seems we'll know by year's end, Matt Belloni said that the test deals have gone out to the shortlist actors already, so they're in the final phase of auditions.
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u/Zacatecan-Jack 21h ago
What's a test deal?
Apologise for my ignorance, I'm don't know too much about the casting process for big films
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u/LeMash898 21h ago
You have to sign a contract including NDAs in order to screen test with the director, real script, potentially other (unannounced) actors/characters
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u/2KYGWI 20h ago
From my understanding, it's a deal/contract where all the terms have been negotiated and agreed on in advance prior to the screentests, so if they make a choice on who to cast the contract's basically ready to sign.
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u/DukeofVermont 20h ago
Yup, also saves them time if someone wants more than they are willing to pay. Figure all that out first before wasting anyone's time. I doubt that'll be an issue as I'm sure it's going to be a lesser known younger actor.
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u/Beneficial-Hotel-232 17h ago
Basically they negotiate all the terms of the deal before you do test so, when they choose the guy, the contract is pretty much ready
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u/nbdelboy 15h ago
more or less exactly what other repliers have said, but for bond, it's traditionally a scene from a past film. sometimes it's from russia with love (there's a famous sam neill test from the 80s using that scene), sometimes it's others. for the craig era tests they used a scene from goldeneye, which, thanks to the wonders of time and youtube, we've been able to see multiple now big-ish name actors absolutely butcher lmao
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u/British_Commie 21h ago
Plenty of speculation we’ll find out by the end of the year and quite possibly in October for Bond Day
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u/DukeofVermont 20h ago
Timmy Chalamet as Bond, Tom Holland as a Bond girl. Make Zendaya watch as the roles are flipped.
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u/harrowing-gale-2606 20h ago edited 20h ago
Zendaya as Moneypenny
Robert Pattinson as Q
Pedro Pascal as M
Sydney Sweeney as Pussy Galore
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u/kakapoopoopeepeeshir 21h ago
This bond movie is gonna be the film communities GTA6 haha. Just delay after delay
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u/DukeofVermont 20h ago
Why? Villeneuve isn't known for delays. He might take some time but he's not known for having problems.
Honestly it makes me really happy that him and Nolan are both incredibly famous, talented, and also level headed and calm directors. Some directors are allowed to be literal children screaming, throwing things, showing up drunk or high, etc.
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u/batatasta 22h ago
The writer said recently they already picked him but haven't announced it yet.
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u/Specialist_Seal 18h ago edited 4h ago
The delay was because Amazon and Barbara Broccoli were feuding. Earlier this year Amazon bought her out so they're eager to get a movie going.
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u/Beneficial-Hotel-232 17h ago
Not this time. We've heard from the studio itself that casting has been underway and from credible sources. The producer herself said that by the end of the year we will know who Bond is. They got the script ready, the director(high-profile), it's on track now.
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u/kroqus 22h ago
"For King and Country", I wonder if Steven is teasing the title there. That would be a great title for the first 007 movie under a king.
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u/ProfessorPyruvate 17h ago
It's mad how long the Queen was around. James Bond was even serving under her in Ian Fleming's original novels.
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u/kroqus 16h ago
I was curious so i googled, Casino Royale was published in 1953, which was the year of Elizabeth's coronation.
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u/PRL-Five 10h ago
The james bond game that came out earlier this year was the first time the IP was under a king and they said 'His majesty's secret service'. Kinda crazy because the franchise has been out since the 50s
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u/Duracharge 22h ago
Now when are we getting a new Austin Powers?
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u/TheLastLivingBuffalo 12h ago
Real question for the class: you’re tasked with casting the next Austin Powers. Who do you pick?
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u/AmbitionTechnical274 22h ago
I am very curious what the development process for this movie looks like. Is Denis working on the script with him while finishing Dune Part 3 or is it more of a for hire job? Does the producing team have a plan that they are having him write or did Knight have the best pitch for the franchise?
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u/Zipurax 13h ago
Villeneuve is extremely hands on with scripts. It's kind of an open secret that he rewrote Sicario on set, even if uncredited.
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u/SupMonica 36m ago
If I was a director, I'd be a bit shocked I couldn't rewrite the script as I see fit. The overall narrative wouldn't change, but basic dialog would go with the flow depending on the actors.
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u/internetlad 17h ago
Wow that guy doesn't look like how I imagined the new bond to be at all. very bold move, let's see if it pays off.
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u/make_thick_in_warm 22h ago
John Mulaney as 007
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u/_JR28_ 22h ago
“The names Bond, James Bond. No it’s not like Kris Kristofferson, that’s just the cool spy way we were told to give our names. Oh wait, I just told you I was a spy? Oh, shit.”
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u/Fifteen_inches 22h ago
Tim Robinson as Blofeld.
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u/citrus_based_arson 22h ago
You think I’m the piece of shit who blew up parliament? I told you I used to be a piece of shit! I didn’t fucking do this!
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u/InactiveMedusa 22h ago edited 22h ago
He does some cool action stuff, says his name strangly, orders a martini like an asshole, does more action stuff, sexy lady, bad guy dies, credits roll.
Edit: bunch of charlatans in here. I like bond movies.
Edit:Edit: I dont know what Charlatan means
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u/Suspicious-Whippet 22h ago
Maybe he also gets his balls hammered by a sexy older Spanish gentleman?
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u/InactiveMedusa 22h ago
Dont forget the Assless chair
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u/Suspicious-Whippet 22h ago
How could I? They used to have one for the Pope. Or maybe they still do?
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u/bluexavi 22h ago
cool song during cool intro (how has Sade never had a Bond song?!)
sexy lady with improbable name
Shops sharper image london location for nifty gadgets
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u/InactiveMedusa 22h ago
Pussy Galore is a totally normal name
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u/thewoodlayer 22h ago
You can’t go to the grocery store without running into at least three women named Pussy Galore.
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u/InactiveMedusa 22h ago
Fair, the name version in my country is Alotta Fajina
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u/lindblumresident 7h ago
I am not sure what you're getting at here (besides stating the obvious) but the same template was followed by both Moonraker and Skyfall. Die Another Day and Casino Royale.
So, it's not as cut and dried as you may be implying.
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u/Odd_Needleworker3756 19h ago
I know Reddit loves Villeneuve so this is going to be an unpopular opinion - but I honestly think he’s a bad choice for directing Bond. Bond movies need a certain level of sexiness, fun and camp, and those are something I’ve pretty much never seen in a Villeneuve movie.
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u/Vandergrif 14h ago
I feel like Villeneuve is talented enough to be able to adapt to something like that, though. It's not as if it's some unreachable height of directordom either – there's an absolute shitload of bond movies across a wide variety of directors and they usually all manage to walk that same line one way or another.
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u/Spockodile 18h ago
I think he’s an interesting choice, but I fear it’s the wrong time. After Craig I really wanted a more lighthearted approach. We had 15 years of bitter dark chocolate, and now it’s time for something sweet. DV probably won’t deliver that. Maybe Knight will bring some of that with the script. Supposedly Rogue Heroes is pretty fun.
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u/nbdelboy 15h ago
this was more or less edgar wright's pitch for the job. find it quite interesting he made the running man around the same time, which is a noticeably dryer, straight-action picture for wright, as if to advertise he can absolutely be a gun for hire without bringing along many of his quirkier trademarks
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u/swimming_singularity 8h ago
I have felt like the Damon-Bourne and Craig-007 movies have really set the current direction for action agent movies for a long while. The closest that DV will get to humor will be straight faced quips from the star, like Gosling infrequently does in Blade Runner 2049 and Drive. My guess would be that this ends up a lot like BR2049 except in setting. Not that I would complain, I'd enjoy it. But yeah no sexy, fun, or camp. Just a serious detective/agent navigating a dark mystery.
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u/parkersb 22h ago
I recently watched all of Daniel Craig’s Bond movies over the course of a couple of weeks, and one thing that really stood out to me is how much they rely on a recurring formula. In some ways, that’s a strength. Bond movies are supposed to feel like Bond movies. There’s a very specific experience we want from them, and I don’t necessarily want filmmakers reinventing the entire thing every time.
But I do think the Craig movies lean a little too heavily on the same basic structure: MI6 is compromised, threatened, or otherwise unable to function normally; Bond is forced to operate partly outside the system or “go rogue”; and at the same time he’s pursuing the larger villain/plot that threatens something on a much bigger scale. Obviously the details change, but that general framework comes up often enough that it starts to feel predictable. I’d love to see the next Bond movie preserve the formula while pushing the actual storytelling further, something more layered, narratively ambitious, and maybe a little more intellectually engaging without ceasing to be a Bond movie.
The other thing I realized is how important place is to Bond. Part of the fantasy has always been getting access to this strange, glamorous world most of us never experience: extraordinary hotels, casinos, private clubs, yachts, villas, beautiful coastlines, and these secluded pockets of extreme wealth where everyone seems sophisticated and slightly dangerous. The setting isn’t just scenery. At its best, it becomes part of the movie’s atmosphere.
That’s a huge reason why Casino Royale is easily my favorite of the Craig films. The movie spends an extended amount of time in Montenegro, particularly around the hotel and casino, and you actually get to settle into the location. You become familiar with the casino floor, the hotel rooms, the hallways, the grounds, and the surrounding environment. By the time the story really gets moving there, the place feels tangible. You understand where the characters are in relation to one another, the action has a geography to it, and you’ve had enough time to develop an attachment to the setting.
Some of the later movies, by comparison, can feel like they’re constantly jumping from one spectacular location to another because changing locations is itself supposed to create excitement. And obviously globe-trotting is part of Bond. I don’t want that to disappear. But there’s a difference between visiting a beautiful place and actually inhabiting it for long enough that it becomes part of the story.
If I could give the filmmakers of the next Bond one suggestion, it would be: don’t be afraid to stay somewhere for a while. Give us one extraordinary location that we can really sink our teeth into. Let us learn its layout, its people, its atmosphere and its social world. I think that creates something much more immersive and memorable than simply moving from action sequence to action sequence across increasingly exotic backdrops.
And at the same time, keep the recognizable Bond structure, but make the plot itself more layered and narratively ambitious. I don’t need Bond to become some dense cerebral drama. I just think the formula is strong enough that the filmmakers can ask a little more of it.
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u/culturedgoat 14h ago edited 12h ago
There is a not a single Daniel Craig movie where he doesn’t attempt to leave the service
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u/keepfighting90 18h ago
I'm not sold on Villeneuve as a director for Bond. His movies, as well-crafted as they are, feel so sterile and soulless with pretty much zero sex appeal and fun factor. Not sure how that'll work with Bond.
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u/AlbertW25 22h ago
Can we get a trilogy this time please?
Why a trilogy you ask?
1 - George
2 - Timothy
4 - Pierce
5 - Daniel
6 - Sean (Never Say Never Again does not count.)
7 - Roger
I just...I need a Bond Actor with 3 Films please.
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u/LCKLCKLCK 22h ago
Why does Never Say Never Again not count as a bond film?
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u/tylersavery 22h ago
Wasn't produced by Eon so it's kind of like an unofficial one. Plus no gun barrel opening scene.
But it's still is a bond film.
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u/LCKLCKLCK 22h ago
That’s wild that there’s no gun barrel opening scene
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u/CRAZEDDUCKling 20h ago
That would be a trademark of EON Productions and being made by not Eon means they definitely can’t have had it.
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u/AlbertW25 22h ago
Cause it wasn't part of the EON run and its own thing made without them.
Which I guess is dumb to say now considering Amazon is now in charge of Bond so NSNA should technically count...
Look, Sean did 6 and that's that lol. Don't ruin this for me otherwise we're gonna need someone to do a 6 movie run only too.
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u/freedomhighway 13h ago
Its all just another distraction until the coens take on the job. Now that would be something to see.
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u/Jiggle_Tester 11h ago
It’s going to be a flop, because for one we don’t know the actor very well and how good he is
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u/GosmeisterGeneral 22h ago
First Bond film in 25+ years to not be written by Purvis & Wade!
Would be amazed if this didn’t get at least 2 or 3 more writers involved as it ticks along. Most Bond movies have a lot of cooks.