Wow. Practically 4 years after Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond got here to a definitive finish in “No Time to Die,” we lastly have a director for the following 007 movie, and by some means, the filmmaker on deck is one in every of Hollywood’s boldest visionaries. Academy Award-nominated director Denis Villeneuve is formally on the helm of “James Bond 26,” and to assume he is already boasting a filmography that features beloved mental properties reminiscent of “Blade Runner” and “Dune.” So as to add Bond to his resume really is the final word flex.
Amazon MGM Studios has confirmed the information to Selection, with Denis Villeneuve himself sharing his official assertion, now that he’s set to outline the following era of 007, which can probably be expanded upon past the large display screen movement image occasions and into the world of streaming:
“A few of my earliest movie-going reminiscences are related to 007. I grew up watching James Bond movies with my father, ever since ‘Dr. No’ with Sean Connery. I am a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he is sacred territory. I intend to honor the custom and open the trail for a lot of new missions to return. This can be a large accountability, but additionally, extremely thrilling for me and an enormous honor.”
Following the announcement earlier this 12 months that Amazon had taken full artistic management over the James Bond franchise, bringing in Denis Villeneuve is an plain win for the franchise. Given the general mixed-to-negative response to the Amazon takeover (yours really was notably not happy), having probably the greatest filmmakers on the planet on the helm will definitely convey some much-needed goodwill amidst all of the cynicism that movie lovers have expressed now that the streaming age will influence what was one of many definitive completely theatrical mental properties in popular culture historical past. However earlier than we have fun any additional, there’s one main challenge amidst this unbelievable information.
Denis Villeneuve nonetheless has a serious dedication to Arrakis
Denis Villeneuve might already be wanting to tackle James Bond, however he ought to lay off the martinis for now in favor of the Spice Melange. Sure, Villeneuve is presently set to finish his deliberate “Dune” trilogy together with his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sequel, “Dune: Messiah.” The third and last entry in Villeneuve’s trilogy is trying to start principal images this summer season, with experiences claiming that the ever-so busy Robert Pattinson could also be becoming a member of the movie as Scytale. Legendary Footage can be trying to launch the movie in December 2026. On condition that he’ll be busy on Arrakis, do not anticipate to see “James Bond 26” hit theaters till round 2027 or 2028 on the earliest.
Each components of Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic adaptation of the primary “Dune” e book have been universally acclaimed. Though “Dune: Half One” needed to take care of WarnerMedia’s disastrous resolution to launch the whole thing of Warner Bros’ 2021 movie slate day-and-date with HBO Max (a choice that Villeneuve himself despised), it nonetheless grossed a powerful $410.6 million on a funds of $165 million. As for “Dune: Half Two,” it grossed an much more spectacular $714.7 million on a funds of $190 million. Each movies had been nominated for the Academy Award for Finest Image of their respective launch years, though Villeneuve was woefully snubbed for Finest Director each occasions.
Denis Villeneuve will set the muse for the following era of 007
By the point he completes his commitments on Arrakis, Denis Villeneuve will be free to begin bringing his imaginative and prescient for “James Bond 26” to life. A part of what makes his hiring so thrilling is not only the truth that will probably be one other alternative for him to place his definitive artistic stamp on cinema’s most well-known espionage sequence, however he will even set the muse of who, what, and when our new 007 signifies. Villeneuve could have a hand in casting the seventh official actor to play James Bond, and whether or not or not he opts to direct sequels, this movie will jumpstart a wholly new period that may, for higher or worse, embrace spinoffs.
There’s a lot to be cynical in regards to the Amazon takeover, however we are able to at the very least assure that Denis Villeneuve won’t cellphone it in with “James Bond 26.” His sensible work was on highly effective show by way of smaller-scale human tales reminiscent of “Prisoners,” “Sicario,” and “Arrival.” By the point he made the bounce to legendary franchises with “Blade Runner 2049” and each of his “Dune” motion pictures, he had confirmed himself to be one of many definitive filmmakers of his era in crafting significant tasks on a large scale which can be unequivocally his distinct artistic imaginative and prescient. No matter how lengthy we should wait, his Bond movie will probably be an important theatrical expertise for audiences to look ahead to within the subsequent few years.
