The James Bond movies have been entertaining audiences for decades, with entire generations brought up on 007’s adventures. Daniel Craig’s Bond movies ended with No Time to Die, opening the door for a new actor to take on the mantle in the developing 26th movie by Denis Villeneuve. Fans have spent years taking bets on the next Bond, and the Oscar-nominated filmmaker recently trolled us at a recent event.
No Time to Die‘s ending shockingly killed off 007, a first for the long-running franchise (which is streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription). Those involved with the next movie have been keeping tight-lipped about casting, but Villeneuve spoke at the LACMA Art + Film Gala, where he spoke to the crowd and said:
With the blessing of my new friends at Amazon, I will reveal to you tonight who will be the next James Bond. The actor who will play the next James Bond is… And I will stop right now because Amy Pascal is about to have a heart attack.
What a tease. Clearly the acclaimed director knows that folks are dying to know who will take on the role of 007 in his James Bond movie. And what’s a little light trolling among friends? Hopefully we’ll get more answers about his developing blockbuster once Dune: Part Three hits theaters this December as half of Dunesday.
Denis Villeneuve’s involvement in Bond 26 helping to buoy excitement for the mysterious project… even if we still don’t know who will be playing the lead role. In a video from Variety’s Instagram, he got honest about why he can’t say much right now, offering:
I should not comment right now because every word I’m going to say is going to be scrutinized. I would just say that I’m having a great time.
The Arrival director was being cheeky at the event, but these comments show a much more sincere side of him. He’s clearly thrilled to be behind the camera for the next James Bond movie, even if fans are desperate for any information regarding casting. You can see a video of him giving the above quote below:
It’s been years since No Time to Die hit theaters back in 2021, fans have been curious about which actor will be passed the baton from Daniel Craig. Unfortunately we’re still waiting on casting news, with fans tossing around a number of familiar names online. There are tons of rumors about who might be playing the martini-sipping agent, as well as chatter that the studio might go with an unknown rather than an established actor. Hopefully we get some answers soon.
All of the Bond movies are streaming on Amazon, and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three hits theaters December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fingers crossed that more Bond 26 info comes after that title gets its wide theatrical release.
