Amazon MGM has tapped Dune director Denis Villeneuve to take on its inaugural 007 movie – among the most sought-after movie franchises for directors, offering a chance to put their own stamp on a character who’s charmed audiences around the world for more than 60 years.
“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,” Villeneuve told The Hollywood Reporter. “I intend to honour 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 honour.”
The filmmaker will be joined by his wife and artistic partner, Tanya Lapointe, who will serve as an executive producer along with Villeneuve. Amy Pascal and David Heyman, brought on back in March, will serve as producers on the project.
“It was always [Villeneuve’s] dream to make this movie, and now it’s ours, too,” Pascal and Heyman said. “We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker.”
Beyond a deep affection for the material, Villeneuve brings chops honed on an array of critically acclaimed original films and a proven ability to breathe new life into established IP, having capably wrangled Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and the first two movies in the new Dune franchise (the third, Dune: Messiah, is in development and scheduled for release in 2026).
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Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, raved about the filmmaker’s ability to deliver “compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters, and – most importantly – the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theatres.”
Global audiences have also been yearning for a new Bond film. The last time the iconic superspy graced the big screen was 2021’s No Tie to Die, which also marked Daniel Craig’s swan song. Work on a new instalment faced a number of hurdles, starting with Amazon’s purchase of longtime Bond-backer MGM in 2022.
The US$8.54-billion purchase gave the streamer rights to distribute the series, but it only held a 50-percent stake in the franchise with the other owner, Eon Productions, retaining creative control.
Years of negotiations led to a breakthrough this February, when Amazon MGM formed a joint venture with Eon Productions’ heads Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson to house the intellectual property rights while allowing all three to remain co-owners. After creating 25 of the 27 Bond movies, Eon Productions ceded creative control to Amazon MGM to the tune of US$1 billion.
Pascal and Heyman were brought on not long after, in March, with Amazon executives Courtenay Valenti and Sue Kroll teasing at CinemaCon in April that the pair were hard at work on a “fresh, exhilarating new chapter” to the franchise. With Villeneuve and Lapointe now on board, the search is underway for a screenwriter and the next Bond, a role made iconic by the likes of Craig, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore and Sean Connery.
