The Dune director is doin’ 007.
Amazon MGM Studios has announced that Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve has been tapped to helm the next James Bond film. The revelation ended months of speculation that began when the monolithic studio/]streaming service/cheap crap emporium acquired the rights to 007 from long time stewards Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. It also prompted a whole new wave of speculation, mind you, but such is the way of things.
Villeneuve is, of course, one of the most respected directors of the current moment. Having broken through with the 2010 arthouse success Incendies, he manages combined bankability, critical respect, and – while it pains me that this is even a consideration – nerd cred. Even the relatively disappointing returns on Blade Runner 2049 are barely a footnote on his resume.
As reported by the Associated Press, Villeneuve has been in the bag for 007 for a long time. “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.”
And James Bond is, of course, the UK’s number one action hero. Debuting in the novel Casino Royale by Ian Fleming in 1953, the charming and intrepid spy soon made the jump to the big screen with 1962’s Dr. no, starring Sean Connery.
Since then, there have been 24 further official James Bond films, with the hero played by five more actors over the years. The last was Daniel Craig, who finished his five film tenure with 2021’s No Time To Die.
Directed by True Detective‘s Cary Fukunaga, No Time To Die took the unprecedented move of killing old 007 off in the climax, bringing the Craig era to a definitive end. The choice swept the board clear, offering up bold new possibilities for the future of James Bond. It also emboldened those “James Bond is just a code name” weirdos who wallow in the danker and more estrogen-free depths of the fandom, but, y’know – slings and arrows.
But Commander Bond (Navy Reserve, as it turns out) got a bigger shock than mere death earlier this year. that was when Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the children of OG Bond screen honcho Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, announced that they would be ceding creative control of the franchise to Amazon MGM Studios. This effectively ended a family monopoly on the character’s screen appearances that had held strong, the odd Never Say Never Again shaped kerfuffle aside, since Dr. No.
The thought of an Amazon-controlled 007 did not please many fans, who noted that Amazon owner Jeff Bezos was essentially a Bond villain already, and the irony was a bit too much. However, Villeneuve’s appointment is certainly a huge step in the right direction.
Now the big question is who’s going to play the latest iteration of everybody’s favourite martini-quaffing state assassin? Your guess is as good as mine.
