There’s a whole lot of consternation among the James Bond fandom these days. Amazon MGM Studios recently purchased complete creative control over the franchise from longtime series stewards Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. In the modern IP obsessed world will that mean over saturation of 007? Spinoffs that don’t even feature him? Subpar TV shows? The loss of James Bond movies feeling like special events? Yeah, maybe. Everything is on the table. But right now there’s reason for the biggest fans of the iconic spy to rejoice. Amazon has made its first big move after taking over entirely and it’s a good one. The studio has hired Dune‘s Denis Villeneuve to direct the franchise’s next James Bond film.
Variety reports one of Hollywood’s best directors has signed on to lead the next James Bond movie. Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival’s Denis Villeneuve is taking over the big chair for one of the biggest and oldest movie franchises in the world.
That is a very big deal for both moviegoers and him. In a statement Villeneuve called himself “a die-hard” fan of the franchise that he grew up watching. He called 007 “sacred territory” and the job of helming a Bond movie “a massive responsibility.” As for what his approach might be, he said, “I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come.”
That path likely won’t open for a few more years. Villeneuve is expected to begin filming his third and final Dune movie, Dune Messiah, this summer. It’s expected to arrive in theaters in 2026 and will require plenty of post-production work. The earliest any James Bond lover should expect to see their favorite spy again is in 2027, but that might be far too optimistic considering the type of scope we’d expect from a Villeneuve movie that might very well include shooting around the world.
But hey, that’s fine! Having to wait for a Denis Villeneuve James Bond Amazon movie is a much better “problem” than lots of fans feared.
Content shared from nerdist.com.