Denis Villeneuve to Direct Next 007 Film; New James Bond Candidates Revealed
Following Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond in No Time to Die (2021), the iconic 007 film series has been preparing for a fresh start. Nearly four years after the release of the last film, the producers have finally found their director for the next 007 film: Denis Villeneuve, known for his work on the Dune saga.
Amazon MGM recently announced that Denis Villeneuve, acclaimed director of Blade Runner 2049 and the Dune series, will direct the next installment of the James Bond franchise. According to Variety, the film is not expected to be released until 2028 at the earliest. Villeneuve is currently slated to direct only one film in the series and will not have final cut privileges.
The report also indicates that the film studio and producers are seeking a British actor under the age of 30 to portray James Bond. Currently, the top candidates include:
Tom Holland (Spider-Man Franchise)
Harris Dickinson (the Palme d'Or-winning Triangle of Sadness)
Jacob Elordi (Euphoria), an Australian actor
The 007 film series was historically distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which was acquired by Amazon in 2022 and subsequently reorganized under Amazon MGM. In February of this year, Amazon MGM took full creative control of the 007 series. Long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who had overseen the franchise since 1995's GoldenEye, are no longer involved in the production. Instead, Spider-Man series producer Amy Pascal and Harry Potter film series producer David Heyman will serve as producers for the new era of Bond.
Over the past few months, the studio has been actively searching for a director. Earlier, two-time Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Roma) was in discussions but ultimately did not sign on. Other candidates considered included Edward Berger (BAFTA Best Film winner Conclave), Edgar Wright (Baby Driver), Paul King (Wonka), and the brother of Academy Awards Best Director winner Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer), Jonathan Nolan (Westworld). Ultimately, Denis Villeneuve emerged as the chosen director.
Denis Villeneuve is currently one of Hollywood's most highly regarded directors. The Canadian director's early works primarily consisted of Canadian independent films, with Incendies even earning an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. He then transitioned to Hollywood, directing films such as Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and the two Dune films. All of these films have received Oscar nominations, with Dune winning six awards. Notably, his action-thriller Sicario, which revolves around an FBI agent pursuing Mexican drug cartel, may share a tonal similarity with 007 films. In fact, as early as 2017, when MGM was looking for a director for No Time to Die, Denis Villeneuve was among the top contenders. It's remarkable that nearly a decade later, he is finally set to direct a new installment in the series.
Next up, Denis Villeneuve will direct the third Dune film, Dune Messiah, this summer, with an expected release late next year. In addition to the returning cast from the previous two films, new additions to this installment include Jason Momoa's son, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa, and Ida Brooke, who will play the twin children of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya). Robert Pattinson (The Batman) is also reportedly in discussions to play the film's villain. It is expected that after completing Dune Messiah, Villeneuve will begin pre-production on the new 007 film.
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Photo: Sony Pictures、20th Century Studios
Source: Variety