Brian Cox Says He Signed Onto to ‘007’ Reality Series Thinking It Was the Next Bond Film

Brian Cox was ready to play the big bad in the James Bond franchise — just not on reality TV.

The “Succession” star admitted during “The Tonight Show” that he mistook the Prime Video competition series “007: Road to a Million” as the next Bond film installment.

More from IndieWire

• 'Rap Sh!t' Season 2 Takes a Smart Approach to Shows About 'Making It'

• 'Masters of the Air' Teaser: Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan Drop Bombs Over Hitler's Germany

“I thought it was the new James Bond film. So I said, ‘They’re finally getting me in a James Bond film!'” Cox said.

He added, “For years, I thought I’d love to be a James Bond villain. It would be really interesting. I thought, ‘This is my moment!’ But it wasn’t.”

The Bond-inspired reality series follows nine contestants who trek around the world for challenges, with the chance to win £1 million — or $1.3 million — each. Cox is “The Controller,” the narrator/mastermind behind the challenges who picks where the paired contestants travel to for specific missions.

“I put real people into a James Bond adventure to win a million pounds,” Cox said in the teaser for the series. “The only thing standing in their way is me!”

Cox previously told Variety that he signed onto “Road to a Million” because “they paid me an enormous amount of money, and that’s always very attractive.”

He added of the mix-up, “I thought ‘Oh, 007, finally.’ I should have realized that we haven’t got a new James Bond so why would they be casting a villain?”

The next Bond film in the works will mark a franchise reboot after Daniel Craig’s 007 met a fatal end in “No Time to Die.” Producer Barbara Broccoli told Variety that “we’re always very protective of Bond” when expanding the franchise.

The next Bond film will be centered on a “30-something” spy who is “already a veteran,” according to producer Michael G. Wilson. Regé-Jean Page, Tom Hardy, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have been rumored to be on the shortlist.

Best of IndieWire

• The Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now

• Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 54 Films the Director Wants You to See

• Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.