IO Interactive’s new Project 007 game, which will allow players to step into the shoes of the world’s most popular secret agent as he goes on an adventure to earn his prized 00 license, may actually be the start of a new trilogy. The possibility was insinuated by studio director Hakan Abrak, who recently spoke to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation about how IO Interactive managed to convince MGM, EON Productions, and the Broccoli family into letting it develop a game based on iconic British secret agent James Bond.
“We have been allowed to make our own digital Bond, which will not lean on a Bond actor,” Abrak said, confirming that Project 007 will not be based on any of the 24 films and introduce a brand-new universe instead. “We are also making a completely original story, and you could easily imagine that a trilogy could come out of it.”
The possibility of Project 007 being the first title in a new trilogy isn’t too surprising, as IO Interactive did exactly that with its reboot of Hitman back in 2016, whose overarching story of assassins and shadowy figures culminated in a third and final installment released on the Epic Games Store and various consoles last week.
Abrak goes on to reveal that the Broccoli family didn’t seem all that confident about IO Interactive’s ability to deliver a game worthy of the 007 IP, but that things eventually turned around in the studio’s favor.
“At the beginning of the meeting she had a very expressionless face, but the further into the meeting we came, she bled up and started smiling,” described Abrak. “One could see that the younger members of the family lit up when they saw that she was reacting.”
“Our story, our background with the Hitman universe and our vision of what Bond is in a game format, went straight to the heart of Barbara Broccoli herself, Hakan Abrak says with pride in his voice.”
Abrak also noted that IO Interactive was planning to double its workforce over next few years, which suggests that Project 007 might end up being one of the biggest games that the Copenhagen-based studio has ever worked on.
“Today we are 200 employees and I expect that we will be over 400 employees over the next few years,” Abrak stated. “So there is no doubt that the Bond agreement means an insane amount to us.”