James Bond Script’s First Draft Is Complete, Says Screenwriter Steven Knight

The wait for a new James Bond movie has stretched on for years now, with fans left parsing every scrap of casting gossip and studio hint since Daniel Craig hung up his tuxedo. Amazon MGM Studios has kept its cards close since taking over the franchise, offering little beyond confirmation that Denis Villeneuve would direct the next installment.

Much of that speculation has understandably centered on one question above all others: who will actually play 007. Rumors have swirled around names like Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson, with each new red carpet comment treated like a potential smoking gun by fans desperate for clarity.

While the casting mystery remains unsolved, another crucial piece of the puzzle has quietly fallen into place. Screenwriter Steven Knight has confirmed that the first draft of the script for the new Bond film is finished, offering the clearest sign yet that the long-gestating reboot is genuinely moving forward.

Speaking with Zoe Ball on the U.K.’s Greatest Hits Radio, Knight was asked directly whether he’d completed the draft. Rather than answering outright, he simply said, “I’m nodding silently,” a response reported by Variety.

Knight, best known for creating ‘Peaky Blinders’ and writing acclaimed films like ‘Spencer’ and ‘Eastern Promises,’ described the opportunity as something beyond a typical career milestone. He called writing Bond “more than bucket list,” and said he felt he was doing his duty for King and country by taking on the project.

Knight was officially brought on to write the new Bond film after Villeneuve was hired to direct last year, with producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman overseeing the project through their respective banners. Tanya Lapointe is also attached as an executive producer, rounding out a team tasked with reintroducing Ian Fleming’s spy for a new era under Amazon’s ownership.

This will mark the 26th official Bond film and the franchise’s first outing since 2021’s ‘No Time to Die,’ which closed out Craig’s five-film run as the character. Given the studio’s early ambitions for a 2028 release, a completed first draft represents meaningful forward motion after years of comparatively quiet development.

Interestingly, Knight had already stirred up plenty of buzz earlier in the week when he appeared to hint that he knew who had been cast in the lead role. When asked whether he wrote the script with a specific actor in mind, he suggested it was a bit of both, further fueling fan theories that a decision has already been made behind closed doors.

That theory gained even more traction thanks to comments from an unexpected source. Gary Oldman, promoting the latest season of ‘Slow Horses,’ claimed that producers have already chosen their new Bond and expressed hope that the role went to his co-star Jack Lowden, saying, “So my fingers are crossed for Jack,” a claim he made in comments reported by Variety.

Amazon MGM has not confirmed Oldman’s claim, and it remains unclear whether he was referring to Lowden specifically or simply asserting that a decision had been finalized. Either way, his comments have only added fuel to a rumor mill that already includes names like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Louis Partridge, and stage performer Tom Francis among those reportedly in consideration.

Adding another layer of intrigue, Lowden’s wife, actress Saoirse Ronan, has publicly expressed interest in playing a Bond villain herself, telling Empire she was “dead serious” about wanting the role. Whether or not that pans out, the growing web of connections around this casting process shows just how invested Hollywood insiders have become in solving the mystery themselves.

For now, fans will have to settle for progress on the writing side while the casting announcement remains under wraps. With a finished first draft in hand and a director already locked in, the pieces are clearly falling into place, even if the biggest reveal is still being kept firmly under lock and key.

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