Riz Ahmed Wants to Be the Next James Bond in His New Prime Video Series 'Bait'

2 hours ago 1

Published Jan 31, 2026, 2:16 PM EST

Summary

Collider's Steve Weintraub talks with creator and star Riz Ahmed and star and comedian Guz Khan for their new series Bait at the Sundance Film Festival 2026.
Bait follows struggling actor Shah Latif, who's about to land a dream role, but finds himself thrust into an existential crisis and conspiracy at the same time.
In this interview, Ahmed and Khan discuss how long the series has been in the works, the personal inspiration behind it, and how Ahmed won over Barbara Broccoli for his take on James Bond.

Academy Award and Emmy-winner Riz Ahmed always has something new and exciting cooking on the docket. Best known for Sound of Metal, Star Wars: Rogue One, The Night Of, and Nightcrawler, Ahmed continues to push himself and show audiences whole new sides to him in film and television. Now, he is flexing his creative muscles as the star and creator of a brand-new Amazon MGM Studios series, Bait, which premiered the first three episodes at the Sundance Film Festival 2026 for the festival's final year in Park City, Utah.

Bait is the story of a struggling actor, Shah Latif (Ahmed), who, according to Ahmed, "gets through, somehow, to the last round of auditions to be the next James Bond." He continues, "When word gets out that he might be the next James Bond, people have very strong opinions on it, to the point where it's almost like his life starts to resemble the spy thriller that he is auditioning for. He's in a long chase sequence, in a way. He's being chased by the critics and his inner critic, and he's pursuing validation." The show also stars Guz Khan as Zulfi, Ritu Arya as Yasmin, Sheeba Chaddha as Tahira, Sajid Hasan as Parvez, Aasiya Shah as Q, and Weruche Opia as Felicia.

At Sundance, Ahmed and his co-star Khan stopped by Collider's media studio at the Arby's Cinema Center, where they sat down with our own Steven Weintraub to discuss Bait and the perils of making it in the showbiz industry. Despite its setting, Ahmed and Khan insist that you don't have to be a showbiz obsessive to enjoy the series, as it relates to a universal experience of trying to be successful when seemingly the whole world is against you. Check out the full conversation in the video above, with a time index below where Ahmed and Khan discuss Bait, James Bond, and their upcoming projects like Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Digger with Tom Cruise and Rebel Wilson's Girl Group.

Riz Ahmed Weighs In on the Future of James Bond

"I know you never, ever let anyone do anything like this with Bond, but here's why you should..."

Bait is personal for Ahmed, not just because it tackles the art of acting. "I made a whole show about me auditioning to play the role. We're not trying to be subtle," Ahmed told Collider, regarding the allegorical implications of the series, as well as the current hot topic of who will play the next James Bond. As a fan of the Bond franchise, Ahmed has his own thoughts about the direction the series could take. Still, his interpretation of the character's place in culture is subjective. "Bond, in my show, is like a symbol. He's like an archetype of success. He's the pinnacle of cinematic achievement," Ahmed said.

He continues, explaining the inspiration behind Bait:

"This show really came out of this feeling that I had as an actor, but I think a feeling that everyone increasingly has in day-to-day life, which is sometimes life feels like one big audition. You feel like constantly having to prove yourself to others, to people you know, people you don't, strangers online, your ex who’s secretly still following you. You're constantly just trying to prove your worth, and it’s because we all have such terrible self-worth… The show is about this idea of constantly auditioning and proving yourself. The story is about an actor who's going through an audition process. The feedback we're getting is that people were finding it very relatable outside of the whole acting thing. It's not really a showbiz show."

So, how did Ahmed get the approval of the longtime James Bond producer, Barbara Broccoli? His take is not only wholly original, but in Bait, the debonair agent is a powerful symbol to contrast the true meaning behind Ahmed's show. He tells Collider:

"There's an amazing team around it, and I'm excited to see what they want to do. But in all honesty, it's a bit of banter around it, but the show isn't really about Bond. Bond in my show is like a symbol. He's like an archetype of success. He's the pinnacle of cinematic achievement. He’s the ultimate alpha male. He’s desirable, he’s decisive. He's everything that my character, Shah, isn't. He's everything that most of us human beings, day to day, who are vulnerable, messy, and lost, are not. So, Shah is pursuing this symbol of greatness because he wants to be something other than what he is. So that's really what is unlocked.

When I went to Barbara Broccoli and showed her the scripts and said, 'Look, I know you never, ever let anyone do anything like this with Bond, but here's why you should,' she understood that it's not really about Bond. It's about self-love, self-worth, ambition, family, and all the messiness of life. Bond is just this thing on the horizon that he's always chasing."

00:24 - What is Bait about?
04:54 - Real-Life Horror Stories from Sets Inspired Some of Bait's Jokes
06:40 - Riz Ahmed on Finally Getting His Show on Screen
07:36 - The Duo Discusses the "Arduous" Writing Process
08:57 - Riz Ahmed and Guz Khan Discuss the Future of James Bond
09:31 - Is It Time to Change Up the Bond Formula?
11:25 - Guz Khan on the "Natural Process" From Friends to Co-Stars
14:12 - The Bait Duo Play Collider's Bracket Challenge!
17:24 - Riz Ahmed Discusses Digger With Alejandro Iñárritu
20:54 - Guz Khan Teases Rebel Wilson's Girl Group
22:41 - Riz Ahmed and Guz Khan Discuss Their Favorite Movies from Iconic Filmmakers
24:10 - Riz Ahmed Makes His Collider Bracket Challenge Predictions

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Arby’s, for making the Collider Studio happen at the Arby’s Cinema Center and keeping us all fed with their selection of curly fries, mozzarella sticks, and tastes of their new Italian Beef Dip, a new limited-time sandwich that brings Chicago-style flavors to its menu. In addition, thanks to our supporting partners, including Hendrick’s Gin, Sommsation - The Wine Company, Peroni USA, neau water, Bernier, and our producing partner Twenty35 Agency.