It's only been four years since the most recent James Bond movie, No Time To Die, bowed in theaters, but there's been so much chatter since then it feels like it's been 40. After a lot of back and forth with the original stewards of the franchise, Amazon now has full creative control of James Bond, and a lot of people are afraid that they'll dilute the brand by making a James Bond reality show or something...or, they already did that? That was fast.
But those worried about Bond's prestige are in luck: Variety reports that the next movie in the franchise will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, who's about as prestigious as they come. Villeneuve is the guy behind the sci-fi mind-bender Arrival, the excellent Blade Runner sequel Blade Runner 2049, and the two recent Dune movies. Obviously he loves sci-fi, but he'll happily make an exception if it means getting to help write Bond's next chapter.
“Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007,” Villeneuve said in a statement. “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.”
The new Bond movie has no title. Nor do we know who will be playing the venerable British super-spy. Now that things are officially rolling, you have permission to speculate wildly. It would be hilarious if it were Pedro Pascal. Let's see how many major franchises that guy can headline.
Denis Villeneuve will leave the Dune franchise
The new James Bond film probably won't be along for years yet, since Villeneuve still has a final Dune movie to direct. We've recently been hearing more about casting for Dune: Part Three, so I expect production on that one to get going pretty soon.
Villeneuve has long said that after he completes his Dune trilogy, he's finished with Arrakis, which is fine by me; he put a lot of years into that franchise and revived interest in Frank Herbert's sci-fi saga. That said, there are a lot more Dune books out there to adapt, I don't expect that Warner Bros. Discovery will stop making Dune movies after Villeneuve leaves. But we'll cross that bridge on another day.
As for Bond, I'm sure a director as thoughtful and talented as Villeneuve can do something interesting with the character. The guy has established himself as one of the big studio auteurs of our age, able to put his unique stamp on movies even in today's age of big-budget franchise fare. With Dune: Part Three eyeing a late 2026 release, I wouldn't expect to see a new James Bond movie anytime before 2027, and likely later than that.
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