London, Aug 2 (UNI) ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight will write the forthcoming James Bond film, Amazon MGM Studios has confirmed.
The movie, which will be directed by Dune’s Denis Villeneuve, is currently in development and being overseen by the studio after long-serving masterminds Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stood down in February, reports BBC.
Knight told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: “It has always been on my bucket list and it’s fantastic to be invited to do it – I can’t wait to get started.
“I’m hoping that, being a Bond fan for so many years, it will be imbued into me, and I will be able to produce something that’s the same but different, and better, stronger and bolder,” he said.
However, Knight did not shed any light on which actor might portray 007 in the next film.
When asked about it, Knight replied: “That is a very, very good question, and one I can’t give you the answer to.”
After Daniel Craig stepped down from the role in 2021 after starring in five Bond films, there has been much speculation over who will replace him.
British actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson and James Norton have been rumoured as frontrunners for the part, while Irish actor Paul Mescal’s name has also been thrown into the mix.
On his selection process for the latest film, Knight said: “I was invited to a meeting with [producer] Amy Pascal, didn’t know what it was about, and very quickly discovered what it was about and became very, very excited and hopeful.
“And then a process is followed where you do some meetings, you discuss some ideas, and then you find out you’ve got it.
“So, I found out a while ago, but it was announced last night, which is great,” he added.
He agreed it was a “high pressure” job but stated that “you’ve just got to do what you do, do it as well as you can.”
The latest Bond film is being produced by Pascal and David Heyman, and Hollywood trade publication Variety has suggested it could be released in 2028.
Knight is arguably most well-known for writing the Bafta-winning BBC One drama Peaky Blinders, starring Cillian Murphy, set in the streets of post-World War One Birmingham, which ran for six series and is also being made into a Netflix film.
He was nominated for Oscar in 2004 for Dirty Pretty Things, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou, and wrote and created 2024 BBC One series, This Town, set in 70s and 80s Coventry, which won a Royal Television Society award.
His other work also includes 2021’s Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Diana, Princess of Wales, which earned her an Oscar nomination.
