James Bond 25 is currently being fought over by five different studios

The franchise is currently being courted by Sony, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Annapurna

(AP)

Don't worry too much for now whether (or not) Daniel Craig is coming back for Bond 25.

The larger matter at hand, for the moment, is who will even be taking the reins of the next installment of the historic franchise, with Sony's contract to market and distribute the films having expired with 2015's Spectre.

The New York Times is currently reporting that those who still ultimately control the franchise - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Eon Productions - have started taking pitches from studios.

Sony has made their case to return to the helm, having collected $3.5 billion at the box office since 2006's Casino Royale, citing their deep familiarity with the franchise.

However, it's currently facing competition from the likes of Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Annapurna, the latter led by famed producer Megan Ellison.

That's essentially everyone except Paramount, who's reportedly been struggling of late and only recently hired a new chairman, and Walt Disney Studios, who probably have enough on their plate at the moment.

A testament, surely, to the franchise's reliability and strength, especially on the global market; the NYT highlights that Sony's previous deal wasn't even particularly profitable, having paid 50 percent of productions costs, only to receive 25 percent of profits.

What this means for Bond 25 at this moment is still unclear, though the production at least seems to be gaining momentum, with veteran writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade having reportedly been approached.