The question of who will bring the next James Bond to the screen has been answered, as Dune director Denis Villeneuve has gotten the 007 assignment from Amazon MGM Studios. He’ll direct the next movie featuring the iconic British spy, to be produced by Amy Pascal and David Heyman.
Villeneuve has become one of the industry’s most acclaimed filmmakers after a series of impressive creative and commercial successes, recently capped off by figuring out how to bring Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi novels to the screen.
In a statement reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the French-Canadian director said that “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. 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.”
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Villeneuve’s hiring is huge forward momentum for Amazon’s plans to get Bond back on screen, after the franchise’s future was left vague following the departure of Daniel Craig as Bond in 2021’s No Time to Die. The studio ended up paying off original producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to assume creative control over the franchise in February, with Pascal and Heyman being hired in March to oversee the production.
This news does likely mean that Villeneuve will have to put a pause on the in-development Dune: Part Two sequel (which has the potential to get very weird). But for James Bond fans, this is a promising update. Let the casting speculation begin again — though let’s note that Dune star Timothée Chalamet may be too young for the role. For more Bond fun, see where your favorite lands on our ranking of every James Bond movie to date.
