Steven Knight, the British screenwriter best known for creating Peaky Blinders, said his forthcoming James Bond script will celebrate what he described as "creative nationalism," and that his incarnation of the spy will be "different, and better, stronger and bolder." Knight made the comments in interviews as he prepares to write for the long-running franchise.
Knight, 65, told The Sunday Times that celebrating "Britishness" through cultural institutions such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Crown, and Bond himself is something he supports, while adding he did not want to "glorify division." Born and based in Birmingham, Knight said the country should not try to be like others and should instead embrace what is distinct about its creative output.
The latest James Bond film is in development with Denis Villeneuve, director of Dune, attached to helm the project. Amazon MGM Studios is overseeing the production following longtime producer Barbara Broccoli's decision to step back from creative control. Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing via Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films, and Tanya Lapointe will serve as an executive producer.
Knight described taking on the screenplay as "exciting and thrilling" and said he adopts a free-flow approach to writing. "I have no plan of how I'm going to get there," he told the BBC's Radio 5 Live Breakfast show. "Though I do know this character's going to do this, this, and then they're going to die, or they're going to become king. So that's the plan." He said working on Bond had long been on his "bucket list" and that he hoped his love for the character would allow him to produce "something that's the same but different, and better, stronger and bolder."
Knight said he was invited to a meeting with Pascal, where he learned the opportunity was available and subsequently went through the usual meetings and idea discussions before being told he had been chosen to write the screenplay. He said the work is a "high pressure" job but that he intended to focus on doing it as well as he can.
The production team has not announced a director's schedule or a release date, and Knight has not disclosed any casting plans for the next actor to play Bond. Daniel Craig, who starred as Bond across five films, left the role after 2021's No Time to Die. Press speculation has linked a number of actors to the part, with names such as Taron Egerton, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Paul Mescal and Theo James among those widely discussed, but producers have not confirmed any casting decisions.
Knight's involvement comes amid other projects and milestones for the writer. He is the creator of Peaky Blinders, which spawned a planned 2026 feature film, and his historical drama House of Guinness is due on Netflix later this month. His remarks on creative nationalism also referenced a recent flag movement that has been visible in his native Birmingham and across parts of the UK over the summer; he said he supported raising flags to celebrate cultural achievements but cautioned against celebrating division.
As the Bond franchise moves into its next phase under different creative stewardship, Knight's comments signal an intent to anchor the new film in recognizably British cultural references while attempting to refresh the character. Details of the screenplay, casting and production timetable are expected to emerge as the project progresses under Amazon MGM Studios and the newly assembled producing team.