Steven Knight, known for British TV staples like Peaky Blinders and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, has announced that his take on James Bond will embrace ‘creative nationalism’.

The 65-year-old British screenwriter is renowned for creating the BBC crime drama Peaky Blinders, featuring Cillian Murphy, which has led to a 2026 film. His latest historical series, House Of Guinness, is set to debut on Netflix later this month.

And amongst his small screen successes he is lending his talents to the long-running spy franchise by penning the script for the newest 007 film.

Residing in Birmingham, where he was born, Knight has witnessed his hometown become synonymous with a flag movement gaining momentum across the country this summer. While he cautions against ‘glorifying division,’ he supports celebrating ‘Britishness,’ including the iconic 007.

Knight expressed, ‘Creative nationalism is something I would absolutely be completely in favor of. We can’t allow ourselves to start pretending that we’re like other people. We’re not. We have to be ourselves.’

He added, ‘That’s what we should be raising flags about: the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Crown, our fantastic actors,’ and ‘of course’ Bond,’ in an interview with The Sunday Times, having hinted that his version of the spy will be ‘different, and better, stronger and bolder.’

The latest Bond film is currently in development and is to be directed by Dune’s Denis Villeneuve, with Amazon MGM Studios overseeing the project after longtime producer Barbara Broccoli gave up creative control. 

Meanwhile, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are on board to produce the movie via Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films respectively, while Tanya Lapointe will serve as executive producer. 

Writing a new 007 is, Knight says, ‘exciting and thrilling’ but he has a free flow approach to his screenplay, admitting: ‘I have no plan of how I’m going to get there.’

Though I do know this character’s going to do this, this, and then they’re going to die, or they’re going to become king. So that’s the plan.’

Speaking about his involvement in the film last month, Steven told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: ‘It has always been on my bucket list and it’s fantastic to be invited to do it – I can’t wait to get started.

‘I’m hoping that, being a Bond fan for so many years, it will be imbued into me and I will be able to produce something that’s the same but different, and better, stronger and bolder.’

However, Steven has so far failed to give any inclination about who will replace Daniel Craig in the titular role.

The actor, 57, stepped down from the iconic spy role after 2021’s No Time To Die, having starred in five of the films over a 15 year period. 

A number of actors have been tipped to step into his shoes, with stars including Taron Egerton, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Paul Mescal and Theo James thrown into the mix.

When pressed on who could be the new Bond, he responded: ‘That is a very, very good question, and one I can’t give you the answer to’.

The last outing for James Bond was 2021’s No Time to Die, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Cary Joji Fukunaga on the writing team.

Speaking of the selection process for the latest film, Steven shared: ‘I was invited to a meeting with [producer] Amy Pascal, didn’t know what it was about, and very quickly discovered what it was about and became very, very excited and hopeful.

‘And then a process is followed where you do some meetings, you discuss some ideas, and then you find out you’ve got it.

‘So I found out a while ago but it was announced last night, which is great.’

He added that it was a ‘high pressure’ job, before noting: ‘you’ve just got to do what you do, do it as well as you can’.