Peaky Blinders writer praises author Ian Fleming's "underrated" James Bond novels as he pens new film's script

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has hinted that he's taking inspiration from Ian Fleming’s “underrated” 007 novels for the next James Bond movie.

Knight is writing the screenplay for the highly anticipated 26th film in the long-running spy series, which will be helmed by Denis Villeneuve.

During a recent appearance on BBC Radio 4 Today, Knight said of the film: "I can't really talk about what I'm doing with Bond but I'm enjoying every single second of it. It's fantastic. I'm loving it."

Little has been revealed about what the next iteration of 007 might look like, but Knight went on to say that the style and dialogue in Fleming's collection of novels are what he's "always looking out for".

He said: "The books are so good. So underrated as literature. There's something about the world that he created that is tangibly real, and yet it's not real. It's almost dreamlike somehow. And I just love the way, the style of how he writes, and the dialogue is so good."

He continued: "Which is what I'm always looking out for. I've got a very particular way I want, you know, I want this to go. I'm working with fantastic people, the best people, and people will have to wait and see."

Recently, Knight told The Radio Times Writers' Room that he is having a "fantastic time" writing the screenplay.

He added: "Obviously with Bond, what you're dealing with is now a character of folklore, really. It's like Robin Hood or King Arthur, in the context of the culture of this country and beyond. And so you've got to treat it with respect."

James Bond 26 will be released in cinemas.

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