When Amazon purchased MGM for $8.5 billion back in 2022, they found themselves in the James Bond business, as the Bond franchise was set up at MGM – and they wanted to start making Bond movies as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, creative disagreements between Amazon MGM Studios and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli slowed down the process. So, earlier this year Amazon paid off Wilson and Broccoli (reported price: another $1 billion) so they can gain creative control over the franchise for the foreseeable future, hiring Amy Pascal of Pascal Pictures and David Heyman of Heyday Films to produce the next Bond film. Last night, we learned that Amazon, Pascal, and Heyman have found the director for Bond 26, hiring Denis Villeneuve to take the helm. This was a surprising announcement because Villeneuve is currently pushing an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah toward production (in fact, we just heard some Dune Messiah casting news last week), aiming for a December 16, 2026 release date, so it seemed that he would be too busy over the next year to give any thought to a Bond adventure. But Villeneuve has made it very clear over the years that he is a huge James Bond fan – and the fact that he has signed on to make Bond 26 even though he’s gearing up for Dune Messiah is a major show of fandom.
Villeneuve has been talking about Bond in interviews at least as far back as 2015, when he was doing the press rounds for his movie Sicario. He told ComingSoon (with thanks to Deadline for pointing it out), “I was raised with James Bond. I love James Bond movies. I would love to do a James Bond movie one day. Action is very cinematic. I’m not someone that loves dialogue – I am someone that loves movement. Action, if it’s well done, can be very poetic and meaningful.” In 2017, he admitted that he had talked to Wilson and Broccoli about doing a Bond movie, but at that time he was too busy developing the first Dune to work on the film that eventually became No Time to Die. He told Screen Crush, “I told Barbara that I would love to work with her and Daniel, but I’m committed. I think Daniel is a fantastic actor and I would love to do it, but a few months ago I joined Dune and I committed. … When Legendary offered me Dune on a silver platter, an old project I’ve dreamed about for 30 years? I said yes right away. I want to honor that. … And Bond is an old fantasy of mine, but I can’t be in two places at once. It’s a strange year, because I would love to do a James Bond. I need to focus.” In 2021, he told Happy Sad Confused podcast host Josh Horowitz, “I would deeply love to one day make a James Bond movie. It’s a character that I’ve been with — like everybody — since my childhood. I have massive affection for Bond. It would be a big challenge for people to try and reboot it after what Daniel did. What Daniel Craig brought to Bond was so unique and strong and probably unmatchable. He’s the ultimate James Bond. I can’t wait to see (No Time to Die). I’m very excited. I’m one of the biggest Bond fans.” In 2023, there were rumors that Villeneuve was Broccoli’s #1 choice to direct the next film – so it’s kind of fun that she’s still getting her wish, even after being paid off to take a step back from creative decisions. Last year, Villeneuve and Broccoli even sat together at the British Film Institute Fellowship awards ceremony, where Villeneuve was quoted as saying Bond is “a figure linked with my childhood. A charismatic figure I have adored through the years. A character that you can put a lot of your shadows into. A very interesting character.“
Signing on to direct Bond 26, Villeneuve provided the following statement: “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.“
When the project first started moving forward, it was reported that Heyman’s top choice for director was Children of Men director Alfonso Cuarón, who he worked with on Gravity and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban… but Cuarón passed on the offer. So then, the Bond 26 director shortlist was said to consist of Denis Villeneuve (Dune), Edward Berger (Conclave), Edgar Wright (Baby Driver), Paul King (Paddington), and Jonathan Nolan (Fallout), with Villeneuve being “the most unavailable and most expensive option for the studio.” And yet, he won the job.
Industry scooper Jeff Sneider of The InSneider reports that “the current plan calls for Amazon MGM to hire a co-writer who will begin writing the next James Bond movie based on Villeneuve’s idea while the director is off working on Dune Messiah. Once that film wraps, Villeneuve will rewrite his co-writer’s draft before he begins casting.” So it might be a while before we hear who Villeneuve’s James Bond is going to be. In the meantime, we’ll find out who his co-writer will be. There’s no obvious choice, because he has worked with multiple writers over the years: Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth on Dune, Taylor Sheridan on Sicario, Aaron Guzikowski on Prisoners, Eric Heisserer on Arrival, Michael Green on Blade Runner 2049. The co-writer(s) probably won’t be Bond regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who were involved with all of the Daniel Craig films and half of the Pierce Brosnan films.
What do you think of super-fan Denis Villeneuve getting the chance to make a James Bond movie, and having a co-writer work on the script while he’s busy with Dune Messiah? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
