Highlights
- Riz Ahmed plays a struggling actor who auditions for James Bond in Prime Video’s six-part series Bait
- The show lands as Amazon-MGM prepares a major reboot of the 007 franchise
- First clip shows family reactions to news of a British-Pakistani actor chasing Bond
Prime Video has released the first clip from Bait, a new comedy series written by and starring Riz Ahmed, which plays directly into the real-world race to find the next James Bond.
The six-part series follows Shah Latif, a struggling actor whose life changes when he lands an audition for 007. In the newly released clip, Latif’s family react to the headline-making news that he is being considered for one of cinema’s most famous roles.
The timing is no accident. Amazon-MGM is currently preparing a reboot of the Bond franchise, making Bait feel like a pointed, playful echo of the industry moment it is arriving in.
A Bond audition at the centre of the story
Ahmed, an Oscar-nominated actor, leads a cast that includes Guz Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Aasiya Shah, Sajid Hasan, Ritu Arya and Werunche Opia. The series will stream globally on Prime Video from March 25.
The story centres on Shah Latif’s brush with fame after he auditions for Bond, turning his quiet life into a media spectacle. The first clip focuses less on the audition itself and more on how those around him respond to the idea of a British-Pakistani man stepping into a role long associated with white British masculinity.
Riding the wave of Hollywood satire
Bait joins a growing line of shows poking fun at the entertainment industry. Apple TV’s The Studio recently won a Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series, while HBO’s The Franchise attempted to revisit the tone of Entourage and Extras before being cancelled after one season. Marvel is also entering the space with Wonder Man, a satirical look at superhero filmmaking.
Ahmed’s series was first announced in July 2024, with filming beginning in September that year. It was originally shot under the title Quarter Life, and it remains unclear whether it was always meant to revolve around a Bond-style audition or if the concept sharpened as Amazon-MGM moved closer to rebooting 007.
Amazon-MGM and the real Bond shake-up
Amazon bought MGM Studios in 2021, gaining a major stake in the Bond franchise. But it was not until February 2025 that the studio took full creative control, after longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson stepped away.
With Denis Villeneuve now attached to direct the reboot, speculation around the next Bond has only intensified. Against that backdrop, Bait looks less like a coincidence and more like a piece of timely brand reflection — or even soft promotion — built around the biggest casting question in film.
Race, representation and the 007 debate
The first clip draws laughs from the idea of how the public might react to a non-white actor playing Bond — a debate that has been running since Daniel Craig stepped down. The series is likely to be compared directly with whoever is eventually cast.
If the new Bond turns out to be a traditional white leading man, Bait may also face criticism for having already imagined a British-Pakistani Bond in comic form. Still, the series suggests that the idea is at least being openly discussed within the culture around the franchise, not just dismissed as fantasy.
Whether Bait is sharp industry satire or clever cross-promotion, it arrives at exactly the moment when the future of James Bond is up for grabs.
