Bond 26: The 5 directors who are ‘pitching’ to make next movie have been revealed

While the duo remain co-owners of the franchise, the business decision leaves creative control of future James Bond productions in the hands of American-owned Amazon, prompting concern from fans over potential changes to the beloved British film series.

Speculation is rife on who will replace Daniel Craig as the spy, but before that, Amazon needs to lock down a director – and there are reportedly a few filmmakers who have been “pitching” for the role.

According to Puck, these directors include Dune’s Denis Villeneuve, Edward Berger, who achieved awards success with All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave, and Paul King (Paddington, Wonka).

Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright is reportedly also lobbying for the role, as well as Jonathan Nolan, the Westworld co-creator, who is the brother of Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan.

The Sun reported that the next film in the series will cast the youngest ever James Bond – and it will be set in the Fifties and Sixties.

Referring to Daniel Craig’s 007 death in No Time to Die, an insider said: “As sensational as it was, Daniel’s exit caused a headache because the death is still fresh in the minds of fans.

“They can’t just pretend it didn’t happen. So they’re now looking at his story as a younger man in a different era.”

The hunt for a new Bond to replace Craig has heated up in recent months, with rumours including Aaron Taylor-Johnson (34), Harris Dickinson (28) and James Norton (39).

Production on the next Bond film is underway after being “fast-tracked” for release, with the film expected to be in cinemas by the end of 2027.

Amazon’s acquisition of the Bond franchise is expected to lead to a series of spin-offs, but the source states the streaming giant “knows fans want and expect a movie” and “wants filming to be done by the end of next year”.

When the film arrives, it will match the record for the longest time the world has had to wait for a new Bond film since Sean Connery first played the British spy in 1962’s Dr No.

The previous record was GoldenEye, which arrived in 1995 – six years after Timothy Dalton appeared in Licence to Kill.