Denis Villeneuve to Direct Next James Bond Film at Amazon

Oscar-nominated Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film, the first from Amazon MGM Studios.

Tanya Lapointe, Villeneuve’s artistic partner and wife, will also serve as an executive producer, along with Villeneuve. As previously announced, Amy Pascal and David Heyman will serve as producers.

“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 said. “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."

Pascal and Heyman added, “Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy. 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.”

Bond is one of the most sought-after franchises for filmmakers. Reportedly, directors who met for the upcoming film also included Edward Berger, Edgar Wright, and Paul King.

Villeneuve is an acclaimed, Oscar-nominated French-Canadian filmmaker who most recently helmed “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two” for Warner Bros.

The filmmaker is currently in prep on a third installment, “Dune: Messiah”, which is in development and dated for release in 2026.

With the “Dune” franchise and “Blade Runner 2049,” Villeneuve has proven immensely capable at refreshing and wrangling established I.P., as well as helming standout original stories including “Arrival,” “Sicario,” “Prisoners,” “Enemy,” and “Incendies.”

Pascal will produce the new film via Pascal Pictures, and Heyman will produce via Heyday Films.

The duo officially signed on for the roles in March, after Amazon MGM struck a landmark deal with longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson that saw them cede creative control of the Bond franchise to the streaming giant.

When Amazon purchased MGM in 2021 (to the tune of $8.5 billion), the streamer acquired the rights to distribute the highly lucrative spy movies, but only owned 50% of the franchise and was relegated to being a passive partner in terms of artistic choices. Then, this Feburary, after years of stalls and false starts on a new installment following 2021’s “No Time to Die,” which saw Daniel Craig’s five-film tenure as 007 come to an end, the three entities — Wilson, Broccoli and Amazon MGM — formed a joint venture to house the intellectual property rights while allowing all three to remain co-owners of the property.

At CinemaCon in April, Amazon executives Courtenay Valenti and Sue Kroll teased that Pascal and Heyman were hard at work on a “fresh, exhilarating new chapter” to the franchise.

“We are committed to honoring the legacy of this iconic character,” Valenti and Kroll said on stage at Caesars Palace. “They’re both in London getting started and couldn’t be here tonight, but we wanted to thank them for what we know to make an incredible partnership.”

Now, the question is who will play the superspy?