Young James Bond series based on beloved novels confirmed to launch later this year - as casting call announced

Big Finish Productions has announced a brand-new audio drama range inspired by the early years of one of fiction’s most famous spies.

In partnership with Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, the UK audio drama producer has unveiled Young Bond, a new series of full-cast audio dramas exploring the teenage years of James Bond – long before the tuxedos, martinis and licence to kill.

The range will launch in September 2026, beginning with an adaptation of SilverFin, the first novel in the Young Bond book series.

Originally published in 2005, SilverFin introduced readers to Bond as a 13-year-old schoolboy at Eton, uncovering a mystery during a holiday in Scotland. The new audio version will retell that story across 16 half-hour episodes.

Author Charlie Higson, who wrote the original Young Bond novels, is consulting on the audio series. "I'm very excited that my Young Bond books will be given fresh life as fully dramatised audio adventures," said Higson. "As we eagerly anticipate the new film, James Bond returns in audio, hopefully introducing him to a new generation."

Jason Haigh-Ellery, chairman of Big Finish Productions, said: "I first came across James Bond at the age of eight at a re-release double-bill of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Diamonds are Forever at my local cinema on a wet Saturday afternoon. I was probably too young to be there, but the bored usher didn’t seem to care, and I was instantly swept up into the magic of these phenomenal movies and the glamorous, adventurous, and exciting world of James Bond.

"Eager to discover more, I found that my father had all the books and devoured them. How I would have loved to have had a Young Bond series to read – and now listen to – when I was a boy. Fifty years later I am delighted and honoured that Ian Fleming Publications has entrusted these stories with Big Finish to tell. Let the adventures begin!"

Amanda Douglas, managing director, Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, said: "At Ian Fleming Publications, we’re incredibly excited to be entering the world of multi-voice audio drama, giving the next generation the chance to experience Young Bond in an immersive way, whilst also inviting original readers to rediscover the stories in a whole new way."

Read more:

• James Bond: 007 First Light is "like a hand fitting into a glove" after making Hitman, explains developer
• James Bond writer Steven Knight teases his take on the iconic character, as he’s having "a fantastic time" writing the new movie

The Young Bond audio dramas will be released as download-to-own titles and collector’s edition CD box sets, available exclusively via bigfinish.com and ianflemingshop.com.

Alongside the announcement, Big Finish has also issued a casting call to agents for the two lead roles, signalling that the search is on for the voices who will bring teenage Bond and his co-lead Wilder Lawless to life. Further casting news is expected at a later date.

Fans eager for updates can sign up for "mission briefings" and first-look information via youngbondadventures.com, with more launch details promised in due course.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.