New James Bond Series Officially Announced For 2027

Published Oct 22, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT

Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond. 

Throughout his decades-long career as a secret agent, James Bond has assumed countless identities, impersonating everyone from diamond smugglers to Cuban military officers to genealogists to fisherman in order to complete his missions and get the job done. Some of his most iconic aliases have taken 007 across the world on the wildest adventures, and as fans wait patiently for Daniel Craig's official Bond replacement to be announced, the legendary franchise is preparing to take the character in a surprising new direction.

Bond has always remained fundamentally the same character underneath his various disguises and alter egos, which makes the latest announcement surrounding Ian Fleming's legendary franchise both a compelling return to form while also showing us a side to him we haven't seen yet. After a slight delay, James Bond will return in a brand-new series in April 2027, trading in his license to kill for "a license to teach."

• 

• 

James Bond's next assignment might be his most unexpected yet, as the legendary British secret agent is set to becom a school teacher in the upcoming book series James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy. Written by bestselling crime and thriller author M.W. Craven, the new series will follow 007 as he takes on the responsibility of training the next generation of British secret agents at his former school.

According to the official description from Ian Fleming Publications, Bond's "famous license to kill has ended, but his license to teach is only beginning." The description suggests Bond has effectively retired from active fieldwork (at least within this particular adaptation) and is now passing his expertise on to aspiring spies hoping to follow in his footsteps.

The story introduces a new generation of young heroes attending the Secret Agent Academy, where they must prove themselves worthy of joining the ranks of Britain's elite Double-O agents. However, Bond and his students have more to worry about than their studies, with a "deadly foe lurking in the shadows." As if school wasn't stressful enough already.

While the premise might sound like a dramatic departure from Ian Fleming's original novels, the series promises to retain plenty of the action, humor, and gadgetry that have defined the franchise over the years. Craven has teased eccentric staff members and unconventional lessons, while the publisher has promised a contemporary setting filled with bizarre inventions and dangerous villains.

Question 1 of 3

Importantly, this is a new children's book series aimed at readers between eight and 12 years old meant to give younger readers a chance to enter the 007 universe, so there's unlikely to be as much sex and violence as your typical Bond foray. It's also an interesting reversal of the premise behind the earlier Young Bond novels, which followed the character's adventures before becoming a secret agent. Instead, this new series explores what might happen after Bond's own career in the field has come to an end.

James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy is currently scheduled for release on April 22, 2027, following a delay from its originally planned June 2026 publication. The first book is listed as a 336-page paperback published by Ian Fleming Publications, with preorders available through the Amazon link above for roughly $13 (or about £9), as well as the official Ian Fleming Shop. The author currently has a two-book publishing agreement for the series, though there are no details yet on the second installment or if there will be additional books to follow.

You can preorder the first book in the James Bond and the Secret Agent Academy series via Amazon here.

Ultimately, the series is a clever way to preserve Bond's legacy while introducing an entirely new cast of potential secret agents. Instead of just replacing 007 outright, it puts him in a mentor role that can help shape the future of the Double-O program. It's an intriguing direction for a franchise that's about to enter a major new era in terms of the new James Bond on screen, and one that could introduce younger readers to the character and still give longtime fans a new take on the iconic spy.