James Bond 26 script being written without actor in mind, reveals Steven Knight
Knight spoke with Radio Times magazine while promoting his new Netflix drama House of Guinness.
While promoting his third series of the year, House of Guinness, busiest man in TV Steven Knight also spoke briefly about one of his other upcoming projects – a small movie currently known only as James Bond 26.
Knight was announced as the writer of the next Bond film earlier this year.
"I can’t talk about it," he said of the upcoming entry to the franchise while speaking with Radio Times magazine.
He was then asked whether he would be taking the edginess he has imbued into some of his previous projects, including Peaky Blinders, into the new Bond, to which he replied: "We’ll see, we’ll see… You don’t know what’s going to happen until you start writing."
On the matter of who might play Bond in his new film, Knight revealed he didn't know before briefly addressing how he's approaching the writing process.
“Er... yes,” he replied when asked if he was writing the script with no one in mind.
Soon after he was announced as the writer of the next Bond film, Knight told BBC Radio 5 Live that working on the franchise had "always been on my bucket list".
He continued: "It's fantastic to be invited to do it. I can't wait to get started. I'm hoping that, being a Bond fan for so many years, it will be imbued into me and I will be able to produce something that's the same but different, and better, stronger and bolder."
The film will be produced by Amy Pascal and David Heyman, and helmed by Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve.
Knight's new series House of Guinness stars Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn and Fionn O'Shea, and is inspired by the true story of the Guinness Family.
The synopsis for the series says: "Set in 19th-century Dublin and New York, the story begins immediately after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, the man responsible for the extraordinary success of the Guinness brewery, and the far-reaching impact of his will on the fate of his four adult children, Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben, as well as on a group of Dublin characters who work and interact with the phenomenon that is Guinness."
The new issue of Radio Times is on sale from Tuesday 16th September 2025.
James Bond 26 will be released in cinemas. House of Guinness is coming to Netflix on Thursday 25th September 2025. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
