- It’s all change with Amazon helming the franchise now
- We’d usually expect to see 007 in London
- The studio is exploring the possibility of filming in the north of England
A lot is changing in the world of James Bond. We know we will meet a new 007 in the next film, with Amazon/MGM Studios now taking creative control for the first time. It turns out that production might relocate too.
James Bond has always been a quintessentially London-oriented franchise , but that could potentially change. According to The Sun, production may take place in Liverpool instead due to a potential filming ban in central London next year.
“This will no doubt irk Bond purists who already fear Amazon taking over the 007 franchise may lead to them making big changes,” a source told the paper.
Read more: It’s good we won’t have a female James Bond
“But Liverpool is a well-known alternative to London for film-makers. It has appeared in everything from The Batman to Captain America and Harry Potter movies, doubling up as international cities.”
That said, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the story itself will be set in Liverpool. “The outline of the Liver Building could replace the rooftops of Whitehall, though Merseysiders will no doubt be able to spot their city centre in the background.”
When might we see a new James Bond film?
The wait for a new film has already been fairly long. After all, almost four years have passed since Daniel Craig’s swan song in the form of No Time To Die.
However, there was confirmation recently that the film was getting ‘fast-tracked’. The project will also have a budget of £250 million ($322 million).
Read more: New James Bond Film is Being ‘Fasttracked’
An insider allegedly told The Sun, “The Bond bosses had already proposed broad plots and reboot ideas. The writers’ rooms are being assembled in the hope of recouping their investment ASAP”.
Also, the sale of the franchise has made the need to create a new script much more necessary. The source added, “Amazon wanted Bond for a number of reasons and one of them was to earn revenue”.
They continued to say although the merchandise and other things are worth money, they want to finish the film by the end of 2026 for release in 2027.
Who might be the next 007?
Hollywood A-listers like Henry Cavill, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Idris Elba and Tom Hardy could all be contenders for the role of the next James Bond. However, according to recent reports, a surge of support for one contender saw him rise to the top of the list.
Read more: James Bond: White Lotus star favorite for role
Theo James, who appeared in season two of The White Lotus, is currently the frontrunner for the role. Despite this, there’s also talk of producers wanting a younger James Bond than usual.
On the We’re Not Getting Any Younger podcast, British actor Daniel Mays said: “Bond is a big deal right, that going to Amazon … I heard a rumour they’re going to cast someone very young and go sort of back to the origins”. He continued, “They’re going to sort of ’60s, you’re going to have all the retro cars and that sort of stuff – and start again. I think that would be kind of cool”.
