James Bond star explains why the 007 franchise "will never be the same"

Even though there's been no casting announcement, it's been a busy year for the James Bond franchise. Slow Horses star Jack Lowden is the current frontrunner, but it remains to be seen who the next 007 will be.

We do, however, have a director and screenwriter in place for the 26th film in the spy series, with Denis Villeneuve and Steven Knight the main creative forces behind the first film in the Amazon MGM Studios era.

Though there is always excitement with a new Bond film, some viewers are remaining cautiously optimistic following various changes at a boardroom level, and these concerns have been echoed by actor Léa Seydoux.

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The star, who played Madeleine Swann in both Spectre and No Time to Die, spoke with Elle about her role in the franchise and the prospect of reprising her role at some point in the future.

"I really loved working with Barbara Broccoli and her brother Michael [G Wilson]. It was one of the best experiences, a pure delight. And I don't know, it will be different," said the actor.

Of course, Seydoux has experience of working with Villeneuve following Dune: Part Two, and she said that he was a fine choice to direct the upcoming Bond film irrespective of the flux within the wider franchise.

"He's a great choice, let's see," she said of the filmmaker. "I'm curious how they will reinvent it. But for me, it will never be the same because it was Barbara's father who initiated the Bond movies."

"Now, I don't know. It became American… I hope they will keep the British spirit," added the French actor, who has also appeared in The Grand Budapest Hotel and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

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Seydoux refused to be drawn on the speculation surrounding the new 007, though she did believe that Daniel Craig would be a hard act to follow, adding: "He needs to be layered, you know? And that is something that’s hard to find in young actors."

While we wait for a casting announcement, you can prepare for the big news by revisiting the previous films in the franchise, with all 25 entries being available to stream on Prime Video in the UK.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.