The future of the James Bond movies continues to become the focus of the entertainment world, as the supposed start of Bond 26 production in 2024 continues to advance. With rumors swirling around writer/director Christopher Nolan’s potential hiring for the gig recently hitting a fever pitch, it appears it’s time for a reality check. That’s due to some pretty huge claims fast making their way out into the world, and a supposed insider casting a whole bunch of doubt just as quickly.
The Most Recent Bond 26 Rumors Connected To Christopher Nolan
A recent raft of rumors was put into the world by the folks at World of Reel. With the usual caveats of “trusted sources” being sworn to up and down, rumors surrounding Bond 26’s alleged negotiations had pegged the Oppenheimer director as speaking with EON Productions about this new gig. And supposedly, those discussions led to the following alleged conditions:
- Christopher Nolan is “on board,” provided he gets to have creative control.
- Aaron-Taylor Johnson's screen test is allegedly confirmed.
- EON Productions wants to remake the Ian Fleming books, with period appropriate films.
- Nolan is being asked to “do 2-3 films,” after which point he’d handling Executive Producer duties from that point forward to keep the franchise on track.
Now I’m pretty hyped for a Christopher Nolan’s Bond 26 as much as the next agent at the roulette table, but that laundry list up there is pretty wild. The world learned as much during No Time To Die’s production cycle, as EON Productions’ sway over all things Bond comes with the territory. And apparently, someone who’s really close to that power very quickly debunked what you’ve just read above.
How Those Christopher Nolan Rumors Were Debunked
In further reporting from JoBlo that followed these rumors, a “knowledgeable source” shot down these claims of supposed negotiations. Not only did they say that the Oppenheimer director isn’t in any active discussions with EON Productions, but they claimed the entire story was “1000% fantasy.” That’s easier to believe than the whispers above, and for several key reasons.
First off, Christopher Nolan would never get full control over his hypothetical Bond 26. While he just might get more leeway than most other parties, EON Productions always has that final say on all things 007. Not to mention, franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson surely wouldn’t hire an outsider to “executive produce” the series for them.
Also, good luck getting Mr. Nolan to stay in one franchise for 2-3 movies, as a writer and/or director, for an uninterrupted spell. All signs are pointing towards Broccoli and Wilson looking to get Commander Bond back on a more regular timetable. So if we couldn’t get The Dark Knight Trilogy made without The Prestige and Inception sandwiched in there, there’s no way Bond 27 and Bond 28 are going to happen in that intended window.
Perhaps the most outrageous claim is that Bond 26 would be a total reboot, readapting the Ian Fleming books in step with their respective time periods. While it may sound tempting to overhaul the series completely after 60 years of history, I highly doubt that starting from square one is in order.
When speaking with Barbara Broccoli myself for the 2020 release of The Rhythm Section, I asked her if there was any interest in adapting the various novels that followed after Fleming's passing. The 007 producer told CinemaBlend the following when asked if any other adaptations, Fleming or otherwise, could be in the works:
We tend to like to develop our own stories.
Remaking past movies from the era of Sean Connery’s James Bond, or any other incarnation, would dilute the overall brand in a pretty major way. And if EON Productions leadership isn’t interested in the vast amount of post-Fleming books they could adapt from, some adapted from unproduced works from the man himself, it doesn’t seem likely that the “period appropriate” approach would be in play.
Once again, the only people who know what’s going on with the James Bond legacy are the people in the halls of the company that runs that ship. For now, speculation, guess work, and betting odds are all we have to discuss, until Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson feel ready to announce their next 007 team. Make no mistake, 007 will return to the world, even with these Christopher Nolan rumors being put to the side for the time.
