EXCLUSIVE: After setting Denis Villeneuve to direct the next James Bond movie, Amazon MGM Studios has a writer in its sights to pen the next installment in the 007 franchise. Sources tell Deadline that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been set to write the pic.
Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing via Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films, respectively. Tanya Lapointe will executive produce.
Since landing full creative control of the franchise this year, Amazon MGM has been thorough in its search for the behind-the-scenes talent that will be overseeing the development of this next pic in the series. Pascal and Heyman were first to be brought on, and after meeting with a number of directors the studio tapped Villeneuve to direct.
While there have been rumors about who could potentially play the coveted lead role, sources say the only focus in recent weeks has been who would write the script, with a number of meetings taking place with potential candidates. In recent weeks, the British-born Knight seemed to be putting himself in pole position, but insiders said a final sign-off could not be given until he met with Villeneuve, who is currently filming the next Dune film. Insiders say that meeting finally took place in the last week, with Villeneuve fully on board for Knight to get the job.
As for who will be next actor to carry the title of 007, insiders say not to expect a decision any time soon as Villeneuve returns his focus to finishing Dune: Part Three while Knight writes the script.
As for Knight, he is the creator, executive producer and writer of BAFTA-winning series Peaky Blinders, starring Cillian Murphy, as well as series including the Emmy-nominated Taboo (BBC/FX) and See (Apple TV+), the BAFTA-nominated SAS Rogue Heroes (BBC), as well as A Thousand Blows (Disney+), This Town (BBC), The Veil (FX) and All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix). The latter earned multiple nominations including for Best Limited Series at last year’s Golden Globes.
Knight also co-created the international game show phenomenon Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? His first penned film, Dirty Pretty Things, was directed by Stephen Frears and opened the 2002 London Film Festival. It won four BIFAs, a Humanitas Prize and earned an Oscar nomination for Original Screenplay, among other honors. He also wrote the Oscar-nominated Eastern Promises and Spencer, and three that he wrote and directed in Hummingbird, Locke and Serenity.
Upcoming projects include the Peaky Blinders movie and the historical drama series House of Guinness, both for Netflix.
Beyond the screen, Knight has published four novels: The Movie House, Alphabet City, Out of the Blue and The Last Words of Will Wolfkin. He was also part of the creative team responsible for the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, his hometown. He received a CBE in the New Year Honours List 2020 for services to Drama, Entertainment, and the community of Birmingham. In 2023, the Royal Television Society awarded Knight a Fellowship for his contribution to the UK television industry.
Additionally, Knight is co-director of Digbeth Loc. Studios, a TV and film studio complex in Birmingham that opened in 2023.
In 2022, Amazon acquired MGM, including its vast catalog with more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows. In March, Amazon MGM closed a joint venture with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the terms of which called for the stuido to gain creative control of the James Bond intellectual property rights.
Knight is represented by CAA, United Agents, and Davis Law Group.
