Denis Villeneuve was honored for his contribution to cinema at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's annual Art+Film Gala on Saturday, November 7. Near the end of his remarks, he offered the room something unexpected.
"I will reveal to you tonight who will be the next James Bond," he said from the stage, then stopped mid-announcement, citing producer Amy Pascal's cardiovascular wellbeing. "The new James Bond is… and I will stop right now because Amy Pascal is about to have a heart attack."
On the red carpet, Villeneuve told Variety he had nothing to add. "I should not comment right now because every word I'm going to say is going to be scrutinised," he said. He was, he noted, "having a great time."
The reveal remains pending. Pascal told Deadline the end of 2026 is still the target. "I would say the end of the year is a good bet," she said. "We are being really, really methodical." Reports have named Callum Turner, Jack Lowden, Josh O'Connor, Robert Pattinson, and Nicholas Hoult as candidates. No names have been confirmed. A recent unverified report in The Sun claimed O'Connor had secured the role, citing a secondhand account from a castmate.
Bond 26 will be the first Bond film produced entirely under Amazon MGM Studios. Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson stepped down from the franchise in 2025. Villeneuve was confirmed as director in June of that year, with Steven Knight adapting the script. The film is due in 2028.
