'Peaky Blinders' Creator Reportedly Will Write Next James Bond Movie

Yahoo

10 hours ago

Although the next James Bond movie will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, the actual script might be written by veteran British writer Steven Knight. And, if that name is familiar, it should be. Knight is not only the writer of movies like Dirty Pretty Things and Eastern Promises, but he's also the creator of the sensational crime drama, Peaky Blinders.
Although not announced formally by Amazon MGM, Deadline has reported that "sources" are saying that "Steven Knight has been set to write the pic." If confirmed, this will almost certainly be good news for Bond fans. But, could Knight's resume give us a bigger hint as to what the movie is about?
Steven Knight's movie and TV track record
Until very recently, Knight was actually attached to write the next Star Wars film focused on Daisy Ridley's Rey, though, as someone who has been writing screenplays for several decades, the notion of changing projects is very common. But, in terms of Knight's biggest work, Peaky Blinders is probably the best indication of where he could take a James Bond film.
At once violent, dramatic, and with a touch of elegance, Peaky Blinders arguably made Cillian Murphy into an even bigger star than he already was. And, the show also proved that British action-adventure and crime dramas don't always have to be set in the present. But, wait. What could that mean for Bond?Could the new James Bond be a period piece?
Because of Knight's work on Peaky Blinders (and his work on the 2019 Christmas Carol), one might jump to the conclusion that the next Bond reboot film could be set in the past. In fact, the idea that the next James Bond reboot movie could be a period piece is a rumor that's been circulating for at least two years.
Recently, Andor creator Tony Gilroy even mentioned that a historical Bond was something he and Steven Soderbergh attempted decades ago, and that he believed it was possible that the plan for the next Amazon-produced Bond was similar to he and Soderbergh 1960s throwback that never happened. "It sounds to me very much like what they're doing now," Gilory said.
A James Bond movie set in the 1960s would be one thing, but perhaps the more interesting move here would be if Steven Knight went back to the actual beginning of James Bond: the 1950s. If Villeneuve and Knight are doing a direct adaptation of one Ian Fleming's novels, then a historical Bond movie set in, say, 1953, would be incredible. In fact, it would be the one thing that the franchise has never done, not once: A period-accurate adaptation of one of Fleming's original books.
Could Knight and Villeneuve make it happen? If so, the next era for James Bond might be the realization of Fleming's dream, seven decades later.'Peaky Blinders' Creator Reportedly Will Write Next James Bond Movie first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 31, 2025
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