Craig will return as 007, New York Times says

Daniel Craig in 2012 during filming of Skyfall.

Daniel Craig will play James Bond in 25, The New York Times reported.

“Mr. Craig’s return is a done deal, according to two people briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid conflicts with Eon and MGM,” Brooks Barnes of The Times wrote.

Eon Productions on Monday announced a November 2019 release date for Bond 25 but had no casting information, including who would play James Bond.

Eon makes the movies and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is 007’s home studio. The two jointly control the 007 film franchise.

The Times provided few additional details. Barnes wrote The Times’ April story identifying five studios (Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Universal and upstart Annapurna) as seeking to cut a deal with MGM to release Bond 25.

MGM exited bankruptcy in 2010 and doesn’t have a film distribution operation. Sony has released the last four 007 films.