Denis Villeneuve is going from Dune to 007. The filmmaker has been tapped to direct the next James Bond movie, the first from Amazon MGM Studios.
Tanya Lapointe, Villeneuve’s artistic partner and wife, will serve as an executive produver. As previously announced, Amy Pascal and David Heyman will serve as producers.
“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,” said Villeneuve. “This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor.”
Pascal and Heyman added, “Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy. It was always his dream to make this movie, and now it’s ours, too. We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker.”
Bond is one of the most sought-after franchises for filmmakers. Reportedly, directors who met for this film also included Edward Berger, Edgar Wright and Paul King.
Villeneuve was last in theaters with Dune: Part 2, which earned over $700 million at the box office and several Oscar nominations, including best picture, winning best sound and best visual effects. Currently, he is in prep on the third Dune film, which is scheduled to shoot this summer.
It’s unclear when Bond will begin production, but the search is underway for a screenwriter who will work with Villeneuve to bring the newest incarnation of the secret agent to the big screen.
The new Bond will mark the franchise’s 26th title and the follow-up to 2021’s No Time to Die, which was directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and served as Daniel Craig’s swan song as 007. Villeneuve, who is French-Canadian, is the second non-British filmmaker to take on Bond, following Fukunaga.
This film will also mark the first Bond outing following Amazon’s $8.45 billion takeover of 007’s long-standing backer MGM.
In 2022, Amazon acquired MGM, which allowed the tech/entertainment company the rights to distribute all future James Bond films. But, until this year, there was little movement due to the impasse between Amazon executives and the longtime shepherds of all things Bond, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. In February, it was announced that Wilson and Broccoli were pursuing a deal with Amazon that would allow the studio to control the creative on future productions.
Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, commented, “We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter. He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself.”
In a 2021 episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Villeneuve said, “I would deeply love one day to make a James Bond movie.”
It appears that day has come.