One of Hollywood’s greatest directors now ‘most likely’ to helm next James Bond film

One of Hollywood – and the UK’s – astir prestigious filmmakers could beryllium astir to nonstop a 007 film.

Sir Steve McQueen enjoyed Oscar-winning occurrence with 12 Years A Slave successful 2013 and is presently promoting his impactful caller World War Two movie Blitz, starring Saoirse Ronan (herself open to Bond), Paul Weller and Stephen Graham.

However, insiders person present claimed that Eon Productions is keen for him to instrumentality the reins connected an instalment of their James Bond franchise.

While there’s been overmuch speculation implicit who could play the spy – inheriting their licence to termination from Daniel Craig, who finished his tally arsenic 007 successful 2021 – determination has been little nationalist speculation over who whitethorn nonstop it.

A root told The Sun’s Bizarre column: ‘Steve is 1 of the UK’s champion filmmakers and has an unthinkable vision.

‘The connection is that the Bond producers wanted to spot if Steve would ever see having a manus successful 1 of the films and they got a affirmative response.’

They added that it ‘would beryllium unthinkable if it came off’.

The award-winning director’s reps declined to supply remark connected the reports to the work – but it’s highly improbable thing would ever beryllium confirmed up of authoritative connection from long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

Sir Steve has besides received acclaim for his erstwhile films Hunger and Shame, some of which helium collaborated with Michael Fassbender on, arsenic good arsenic his TV anthology Small Axe, which told stories based connected the real-life experiences of London’s West Indian assemblage betwixt 1969 and 1982.

Little is known astir the aboriginal of the spy franchise Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been heavy rumoured to beryllium stepping into his shoes for months now.

His The Fall Guy manager David Leitch subsequently praised the rumoured casting and spoke of his hopes that ‘maybe we’ll get that accidental soon’ to make a 007 flick together.

However, rumours persist that we person a agelong hold successful store for the adjacent Bond movie present the deadline for Broccoli’s estimated shooting docket has passed.

She initially suggested conscionable months aft No Time to Die’s merchandise that fans should beryllium diligent with the adjacent movie arsenic they had plans to ‘reinvent’ the character.

She told Deadline successful June 2022: ‘There isn’t a publication and we can’t travel up with 1 until we determine however we’re going to attack the adjacent movie because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond.

‘We’re reinventing who helium is, and that takes time. I’d accidental that filming is astatine slightest 2 years away.’

We are present 2 and a fractional years later, with nary denotation that immoderate announcements astir writer, manager oregon casting – fto unsocial cameras rolling – are imminent.

On apical of this, Broccoli besides has commitments to Sing Street, a caller signifier philharmonic coming to the London signifier successful summertime 2025 successful what is simply a co-production betwixt her and the Lyric Hammersmith.

‘The best-case script is simply a caller Bond movie in cinemas by the extremity of 2026 – which is 5 years aft No Time To Die – and that’s if things get shaken up soon,’ 1 movie insider told The Mirror.

Another root indicated to the work that determination were rumours of publication problems and delays.

This timeline echoes what was predicted before, with a elder endowment rep suggesting – perchance much realistically, fixed the magnitude of the post-production and editing process arsenic good – to The Telegraph successful August: ‘Late 2026, astatine the ­earliest. Maybe 2027. Perhaps adjacent 2028.’ 

But adept Professor James Chapman of the University of Leicester urged fans not to interest ‘unduly’ if that is the case.

Previously, the spread betwixt Timothy Dalton’s last Bond movie Licence to Kill successful 1989 and Pierce Brosnan’s debut successful 1995’s GoldenEye was six years, 4 months and 14 days.

And betwixt Brosnan leaving aft 2002’s Die Another Day and Craig’s archetypal movie Casino Royale successful 2006, it was astir 4 years to the day.

Current rumoured contenders for the relation of Bond alongside Taylor-Johnson see Callum Turner, Netflix breakout prima Aaron Pierre and Theo James.

Metro has contacted reps for Sir Steve and Eon Productions for comment.

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