The mystery surrounding the next James Bond has deepened, with writer Steven Knight refusing to confirm whether 007 has already been cast.
Knight faced repeated questions about the casting during an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday. According to Deadline, the Peaky Blinders creator was asked about the casting after actor Gary Oldman claimed that the next Bond had already been chosen and backed his Slow Horses co-star Jack Lowden for the role.
“I cannot speak about this subject. Much as I would dearly love to,” Knight said with a laugh. He added that taking on Ian Fleming’s spy franchise for Amazon MGM Studios felt like he was “doing my duty for King and country”.
Presenter Anna Foster then asked whether Knight knew the identity of the actor while writing the script and whether that made a difference.
“It does make life a little bit easier if you know who that person is, but also you have to write the character, not the actor,” Knight replied.
Foster pushed again, asking whether the actor had been revealed to him before he began writing or halfway through the process.
Knight laughed and replied: “I refer you to my previous answer.”
He then spoke about the responsibility of writing for one of cinema’s most established franchises.
“The thing with Bond is it’s its own universe, and it’s its own franchise. So there are certain rules,” Knight said. “I mean, obviously you have to move it along, but I love where it sits. I love that it’s British. I love that it’s not DC or Marvel … So I feel a responsibility to the text.”
The casting speculation intensified after Oldman claimed over the weekend that producers had already made their choice.
“It’s been rumoured that he’s on the shortlist,” Oldman told Canada’s Global. “We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him. They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack.”
Oldman’s comments have not been confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios, leaving the identity of the next 007 officially unknown. Current reports have linked Lowden to the role, but no casting announcement has been made.
The search for the next Bond had already entered an advanced stage. Deadline reported in June that director Denis Villeneuve and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman had begun informing actors who had progressed to another round of auditions, which was expected to take place in August.
