Denis Villeneuve to direct the next James Bond film
The Dune director will lead the next 007 movie
Four months after fans of the James Bond franchise decried the deal struck between Amazon MGM with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to cede creative control of the 007 franchise, hope has arrived in the form of famed director Denis Villeneuve.
On Wednesday, the studio announced that Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film, while also serving as executive producer alongside Tanya Lapointe. Amy Pascal and David Heyman will also produce the upcoming project.
In a statement Villeneuve shared that some of his “earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007” and that he “grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery.”
“I’m a die-hard Bond fan,” said the filmmaker. “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.”
Hopkins, the head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM, added, “We are honoured that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter. He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself.”
Villeneuve’s work directing Dune and Dune: Part 2, which earned over $700 million at the box office and received an an Academy Award nod for Best Picture, has been heralded by both fans and critics. He is currently busy on the third Dune film, slated to begin shooting this summer.
He also directed 2016’s Arrival, which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Director, and Blade Runner 2049 in 2017.
While Broccoli and Wilson — the daughter and stepson of producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, who first brought Bond to the big screen with 1962’s Dr. No and remained with the franchise until his death in 1996 — handed Amazon MGM Studios creative control back in February, the pair retained the franchise’s intellectual property rights and remain co-owners of the Bond franchise.