Steven Knight, the celebrated British screenwriter behind Peaky Blinders and Dirty Pretty Things, has been chosen to write the next James Bond film, working alongside director Denis Villeneuve. According to Deadline, Knight met Villeneuve recently and secured the role after several other writers were considered. Villeneuve is currently filming the third Dune instalment.
Knight expressed his excitement to the BBC, stating, "It has always been on my bucket list and it’s fantastic to be invited to do it – I can’t wait to get started." He added that he aims to deliver something "the same but different, and better, stronger and bolder." However, he declined to comment on who might succeed Daniel Craig as 007.
The 65-year-old writer is best known for co-creating Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and creating Peaky Blinders, as well as writing films such as Eastern Promises, Locke and Spencer. His upcoming projects include the Peaky Blinders film The Immortal Man and the period drama House of Guinness for Netflix.
Villeneuve was officially attached to the project earlier this year. "I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come," he said in a statement. The 26th Bond film will follow Daniel Craig’s final outing, No Time to Die, which grossed over $774m globally. In a reported $1bn deal, Amazon MGM recently acquired creative control of the franchise.
