Amazon MGM
Riz Ahmed Takes on the James Bond Audition Frenzy in Meta Comedy Bait
As Amazon MGM Studios quietly assembles the creative dream team behind its first post-Daniel Craig James Bond film—with Steven Knight on scripting duties, Denis Villeneuve set to direct, and David Heyman and Amy Pascal producing—one question continues to dominate pop culture chatter: Who will be the next James Bond? While the real-world answer remains under wraps, Riz Ahmed has stepped into the conversation in the most unexpected way possible. The actor, writer, and musician has unveiled a deliberately meta, hilariously chaotic trailer for his upcoming Prime Video comedy series Bait, which imagines what it’s like to be one of the many actors nervously auditioning for cinema’s most coveted role.
A Bond Audition Spirals Out of Control
Created and written by Ahmed, Bait stars the Sound of Metal and Relay actor as Shah Latif, a struggling performer whose last shot at stardom comes via a potential Bond audition. According to Amazon’s official synopsis, the series tracks Shah over four increasingly unhinged days, as his personal and professional life unravel under intense public scrutiny.
The newly released trailer wastes no time leaning into the absurdity. Shah’s family grills him over a speculative Mirror article linking him to the role of 007, while friends, ex-lovers, and the wider world pile on with opinions about whether he “looks Bond enough.” The result is a sharp satire of celebrity culture, internet outrage, and the exhausting expectations placed on actors of colour in franchise casting debates.
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A Star-Studded Cast and Creative Reunion
Bait also features a strong ensemble including Guz Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Sajid Hasan, Aasiya Shah, Weruche Opia, and Ritu Arya. Behind the camera, Ahmed reunites with Bassam Tariq, his collaborator on the acclaimed Mogul Mowgli, while Tom George (This Country) also directs episodes.
The series’ tone—fast, frantic, and self-aware—positions it alongside other recent meta comedies, but Bait distinguishes itself by tackling one of Hollywood’s most closely guarded and politically charged casting conversations head-on.
Can Riz Ahmed Still Be Bond?
Naturally, the trailer has reignited fan speculation: does spoofing the James Bond audition process rule Riz Ahmed out of ever playing 007 for real? The show playfully toys with that very question, blurring the line between satire and wish fulfilment. As the Bait trailer cheekily suggests, maybe the real “bait” is the internet itself.
Set to premiere on Prime Video on 25 March, Bait promises to be stirring rather than shaken—a smart, chaotic commentary on fame, representation, and the cultural obsession with James Bond. Whether or not Riz Ahmed ever dons the tux on the big screen, one thing’s clear: he’s already found a way to make the Bond conversation his own.
