It’s official. Denis Villeneuve, known for the Dune franchise, Prisoners, Arrival, Sicario, and other critically acclaimed films, will direct Bond 26. Amazon MGM made the news on social media, just days after a shortlist of contenders was named. Villeneuve beat out Edward Berger, Edgar Wright, Jonathan Nolan, & Paul King for the gig.
Villeneuve said following the announcement…“Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust.”
Amazon MGM has been moving quickly with James Bond since acquiring full creative control earlier this year. Amy Pascal and David Heyman were named as producers.
As for when the film will happen, that’s unclear. But it will have to wait a few years, which should offer plenty of time to hammer out a screenplay. Villeneuve is about to roll on Dune: Messiah, and Bond 26 will be next after that. This is something Villeneuve has openly talked about wanting to do, so it’s good to see him get his wish.
Hey, if you can’t get Christopher Nolan to direct Bond, you are almost getting the same thing with Villeneuve. What the two filmmakers share is an ability to make almost any story, big or small, feel epic with plenty of creative visual style. They both favor moody, dark stories that strike at the heart of their heroic leads, think Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. Now imagine Villeneuve doing something similar with James Bond and you’ve got something that sounds pretty cool.
