Denis Villeneuve is directing the next Bond film for Amazon

First, Amazon MGM secured creative power of the James Bond IP, past it brought Amy Pascal and David Heyman successful to nutrient a caller diagnostic astir the iconic spy. Now, the workplace has recovered a manager to pb the project.

Last night, Amazon MGM announced that Denis Villeneuve has been tapped to nonstop a caller Bond movie — the studio’s archetypal since it obtained the spot arsenic portion of its MGM acquisition backmost successful 2021 for $8.45 billion. The caller Bond task does not yet person a name, casting details, oregon a accumulation timeline, but Amazon MGM besides shared that Tanya Lapointe is attached to produce. In a property merchandise astir his engagement successful the caller movie, Villeneuve said that arsenic a longtime instrumentality who grew up watching the Bond series, helium sees the quality arsenic “sacred territory.”

“Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007,” Villeneuve said. “I mean to grant the contented and unfastened the way for galore caller missions to come. This is simply a monolithic responsibility, but also, incredibly breathtaking for maine and a immense honor.”

Amazon MGM and Prime Video caput Mike Hopkins echoed Villeneuve’s enthusiasm and said that it was an grant to beryllium capable to collaborate with him. Hopkins besides seemed to bespeak that the workplace intends for the caller task to person a theatrical release.

“From Blade Runner 2049 to Arrival to the Dune films, [Villeneuve] has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, analyzable characters, and—most importantly—the immersive storytelling that planetary audiences yearn to acquisition successful theaters,” Hopkins said. “James Bond is successful the hands of 1 of today’s top filmmakers and we cannot hold to get started connected 007’s adjacent adventure.”

It’s apt going to beryllium a portion until we spot immoderate of the caller Bond fixed however engaged Villeneuve presently is with his enactment connected a 3rd Dune feature for Legendary and Warner Bros. Discovery, which is slated to deed theaters adjacent year. As Deadline notes, Villeneuve has besides reportedly been successful talks to enactment connected Universal’s upcoming Cleopatra project, Alcon Entertainment‘s adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama, and Legendary’s adaptation of Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario. 

Bringing Villeneuve connected for Bond seems similar a coagulated determination connected Amazon’s portion considering however overmuch wealth the workplace spent to bargain MGM and then, arsenic portion of a abstracted deal, to person longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to springiness up originative power of the IP. Villeneuve’s a known deed maker, and helium mightiness beryllium capable to assistance Amazon recoup a important chunk of its investment. But the caller film’s occurrence is undoubtedly going to hinge connected its communicative and whoever ends up becoming the latest 007.