Bond 26 Set for 2027 Release with £250m Budget and Franchise Reboot
After years of radio silence and swirling speculation, MI6’s most famous operative is officially back on the radar. Production on the next James Bond instalment, Bond 26, is rumored to be underway, and for the first time in the franchise’s six-decade history, it’s being shepherded under entirely new creative leadership.
That leadership, of course, comes in the form of Amazon MGM Studios, whose $1 billion acquisition of the Bond brand has done more than shake up the martinis. It’s effectively rebooted the very structure of who calls the shots in 007’s world.
Licence to Control
The seismic deal struck last year saw long-standing producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli cede creative control of future Bond movies. The duo, heirs to the Broccoli family legacy that has curated Bond since 1962’s Dr No, remain co-owners of the intellectual property. But the keys to the DB5 have been handed to Amazon.
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A move of this magnitude was bound to raise eyebrows, and indeed, it has. Many fans, fiercely loyal to the traditional stewardship of the Bond franchise, have voiced concerns about whether Bond can remain Bond without the meticulous touch of the Broccoli dynasty.
Still, the streaming titan is moving full throttle. According to The Sun, Bond 26 has been fast-tracked with a projected release in late 2027. A source close to production claims, “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.”
The £250 Million Mission
Amazon is sparing no expense. The film is reportedly working with a budget of £250 million—matching that of No Time To Die, Daniel Craig’s swan song in the role. And while the finer details remain classified, Bond movies have historically aimed for October or November releases.
This next instalment could equal the franchise’s longest gap between films—tying the six-year hiatus between Licence to Kill (1989) and GoldenEye (1995).
Amazon is said to be eyeing more than just movies, with potential spin-offs rumoured to be in the pipeline. But as one source put it, the company “knows fans want and expect a movie” and “wants filming to be done by the end of next year.”
Who Will Be Next to Wear the Tux?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, speculation around who will succeed Craig as 007 has reached fever pitch. The names floating across betting slips and Twitter threads alike include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Regé-Jean Page, and James Norton.
Although there has been strong rumors that Amazon MGM will go with an actor they have worked with on their streaming series. One name cropping up in many conversations is Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Charlie Vickers, he would be an interesting choice. Long time favorite Henry Cavill has also worked with AMazon, and he would be a popular choice with fans.
Meanwhile, producers David Heyman—of Harry Potter fame—and Amy Pascal, known for her work on Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies, are reportedly in discussions to help oversee development.
The Stakes Have Never Been Higher
James Bond’s future, then, is poised at a curious intersection: a beloved legacy now powered by the gears of a corporate behemoth. The budget is huge, the expectations towering, and the scrutiny unforgiving.
But if there’s one thing Bond movies have always excelled at, it’s the art of the high-stakes gamble. The world will be watching—martinis in hand—to see whether Amazon’s first mission will dazzle or self-destruct.
