Denis Villeneuve is about to direct the following James Bond movie for Amazon MGM Studios, the studio introduced Wednesday.
Amy Pascal and David Heyman will produce, as beforehand introduced, with Tanya Lapointe exec producing.
Villeneuve has been rumored as one of many high-profile administrators being checked out for the mission, alongside the likes of Edward Berger, Edgar Wright, Jonathan Nolan and Paul King. Earlier, the sense was that Alfonso Cuarón, a frequent collaborator of producer Heyman, is perhaps taking the gig.
The Bond directing gig has been essentially the most carefully watched on the town ever since Amazon MGM acquired full artistic management of the franchise in February in a historic take care of longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, leading to a brand new three way partnership. The studio gained distribution rights to Bond with the acquisition of MGM Studios for $8.5 billion in 2022, however has not but been capable of get a brand new movie off the bottom, presumably given artistic variations with the franchise’s earlier stewards. There hasn’t been a brand new Bond movie since Daniel Craig wrapped up his time with the franchise with No Time to Die within the fall of 2021.
The hiring of Villeneuve comes as a little bit of a shock, on condition that he’ll be tied up for the foreseeable future together with his third and ultimate Dune movie for Warner Bros and Legendary Leisure, which is capturing this summer season and slated for launch on December 16, 2026. He’s been engaged on that franchise in some capability since 2017, having launched the primary movie in 2021, and has additionally been linked to initiatives in improvement together with Cleopatra; an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s basic sci-fi novel Rendezcous with Rama; and Nuclear Battle: A State of affairs, an adaptation of the work of non-fiction by Annie Jacobsen, on which we had been first to report.
On the identical time, the four-time Oscar nominee has demonstrated together with his work on the Dune movies that he’s precisely the type of visionary who must be mounting Bond at a time when the way forward for the franchise is unsure — a filmmaker with nice style and an epic sensibility who is aware of tips on how to make franchise fare really feel recent. His two Frank Herbert variations thus far have been each essential and business successes, garnering eight Oscars from 15 nominations, and grossing over $1.1 billion worldwide. Previous to Dune, the Canadian director helmed a sequel to Ridley Scott’s sci-fi basic Blade Runner for Warner Bros, seeing Blade Runner 2049 rating two Oscars from 5 nominations and draw essential raves, even because it underwhelmed commercially with $267 million worldwide.
In an announcement on his new mission, Villeneuve mentioned, “A few of my earliest movie-going reminiscences are linked to 007. I grew up watching James Bond movies 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 custom and open the trail for a lot of new missions to return. This can be a huge accountability, but additionally, extremely thrilling for me and an enormous honor. Amy, David, and I are completely thrilled to deliver him again to the display screen. Thanks to Amazon MGM Studios for his or her belief.”
Commented Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, “We’re honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s subsequent chapter. He’s a cinematic grasp, whose filmography speaks for itself. From Blade Runner 2049 to Arrival to the Dune movies, he has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, advanced characters, and—most significantly—the immersive storytelling that international audiences yearn to expertise in theaters. James Bond is within the arms of one in every of in the present day’s biggest filmmakers and we can not wait to get began on 007’s subsequent journey.”
Pascal and Heyman added, “Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond motion pictures since he was a little bit boy. It was at all times his dream to make this film, and now it’s ours, too. We’re fortunate to be within the arms of this extraordinary filmmaker.”
Villeneuve is repped by CAA, Claude Girard Company in Canada, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.
