James Bond producer says they haven’t begun working on the next 007 chapter

Fans of the 007 franchise will have to wait a long time before knowing who is taking over for Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.

Producer Barbara Broccoli has revealed that executives haven’t even begun to map out the next chapter of the long-running franchise, which saw Daniel Craig bow out in No Time to Die two years ago.

In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, she said the team was aware that the character’s next incarnation will have to reflect how the world has changed in the 20 years since Craig took on the role.

Broccoli, who helms the film series with her half-brother Michael G. Wilson said, "I go back to GoldenEye when everyone was saying. ‘The cold war is over, the wall is over, Bond is dead, no need for Bond, the whole world’s at peace and now there’s no villains’ — and boy was that wrong!” she said.

When it came to Craig in the title role, they “wanted to focus on what a 21st-century hero would look like.”

“Daniel gave us the ability to mine the emotional life of the character … and also the world was ready for it,” she added. “I think these movies reflect the time they are in, and there’s a big, big road ahead reinventing it for the next chapter.”

In 2021, the MGM catalogue was sold to Amazon, which included the Bond franchise. However, Broccoli underlined that Bond would only make big-screen appearances going forward.

Further describing 007: Road to a Million which is Prime Video’s reality competition series as “a nice fun thing,” Barbara Broccoli expressed hope that the show will be loved by James Bond fans. Broccoli, alongside her half-brother Michael G Wilson, played an active role in bringing the adventure series to life. The show will feature nine contestants who will undergo physical and psychological challenges in locations featured in the films, including the Scottish Highlands, Venice and Jamaica, along with the signature theme tune and other aspects. In the end, the winner will walk away with a £1 million (approximately Rs 10 Crore) prize.

After five instalments in the film series, beginning with Casino Royale, Craig officially retired from the role following the release of 2021’s No Time to Die.