Brian Cox to play villainous host of James Bond reality TV show

Now that Brian Cox's lauded run on HBO's Succession has come to a close, the Scottish actor has a rather different project on his plate, one that presumably comes with an ample martini rider.

Cox is set to host/play the villain of Prime Video's new James Bond competition TV series, 007’s Road to a Million. The man we know and love as media mogul Logan Roy will be taking on the role of "The Controller", sending contestants on challenges related to the Bond franchise in recognisable filming locations like Jamaica, Venice, and the Scottish Highlands.

As the mysterious host, Cox will act as a sort of hybrid of M, Bond's MI6 boss, and every Bond villain you can think of. Honestly, if we get one shot of Brian Cox sitting in a darkened board room stroking a white cat and cackling at contestants on some form of surveillance system that'll be enough for me.

In what sounds like the ultimate challenge for hardcore 007 nerds, contestants will compete in pairs to answer Bond-related questions hidden in these locations. Perhaps players will first have to remember which Bond movies were filmed in Jamaica (Dr No, Live and Let Die, No Time to Die), Venice (From Russia With Love, Moonraker, Casino Royale), and the Scottish Highlands (Skyfall, The World Is Not Enough, No Time to Die). Players will clock up winnings, potentially up to £1 million per pair. Essentially, this sounds like The Amazing Race but for Bond fans.

“I got to see how ordinary people would cope with being on a James Bond adventure," Cox said in a press statement. "As they travel the world to some of the most iconic Bond locations, it gets more intense and nail-biting. I enjoyed my role as both villain and tormentor, with license to put the hopeful participants through the mangle."

007’s Road to a Million will launch on Prime Video "later this year." The series is a collab between Amazon Studios, EON Productions, 72 Films, and MGM Alternative.