From “Dune” to 007: Denis Villeneuve Will Direct Next James Bond Film

Director Denis Villeneuve is going from the sands of Arrakis to His Majesty’s Secret Service.

Villeneuve, one of the most sought-after directors working today, will helm the next James Bond movie, the first from Amazon MGM Studios. He’ll be aided by Tanya Lapointe, his artistic partner and wife, who will once again serve as his executive producer. Amy Pascal and David Heyman are set to produce.

Villeneuve was, of course, enthused about the opportunity. Back in a 2021 episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he revealed that he would “deeply love one day to make a James Bond movie.”

“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,” said Villeneuve. “This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor.”

“Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy,” Pascal and Heyman added in a statement. “It was always his dream to make this movie, and now it’s ours, too. We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker.”

“We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter,” said Mike Hopkins, the head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself.”

Villeneuve has, of course, been spending the past few years bringing another of his cinematic dreams to fruition, with Dune and Dune: Part 2 coming to life in his critically acclaimed adaptations, earning Oscars noms and wins along the way. He’s not done with Dune, either—he’s currently prepping Dune: Messiah, which will cap his trilogy tracking the rise of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), who had effectively become the Emperor by the end of Part Two. Atreides led the Fremen in a devastating assault on the Harkonnen and Imperial forces on Arrakis, avenged the killing of his father, and successfully challenged Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) by defeating Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler), the Emperor’s champion.

While there aren’t any clear details on exactly when the new Bond film might start production, announcing Villeneuve as the director certainly gives Amazon MGM’s first mission leading the iconic British spy franchise momentum. Villeneuve’s Bond film will be the 26th title, marking the first Bond in the new, Daniel Craig-less era, following his ultimate sacrifice in director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s 2021 film, No Time to Die. 

When Amazon acquired MGM in 2022, it gained the right to distribute all future Bond films. In February of this year, it was announced that longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson were pursuing a deal that would allow Amazon to take charge of the creative process of all future Bond productions. “James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema,” said Pascal and Heyman at the time in a joint statement. “We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, who made so many extraordinary films, and honored and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure.”

The process to kickstart the new era of Bond into gear has been a slow one, but now, with Villeneuve onboard, you can expect the mission to take shape. Now we just need to find out how the new Bond will be.

Featured image: Caption: (L-r) Director DENIS VILLENEUVE and JAVIER BARDEM on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “DUNE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Chiabella James