This is per Variety, reporting that the Dune and Arrival director has formally signed on to helm an untitled Bond movie (with a similarly unidentified Bond). Villeneuve is no stranger to franchise work, of course; even excepting his Dune movies—two so far, with a third on the way—he’s also the guy who dared to direct a sequel to Ridley Scott’s classic Blade Runner, so it’s not like he’s averse to playing in other people’s toyboxes. (Bond is also malleable enough, especially in its more modern iterations, that directors can use it as a showcase for their skills; Sam Mendes and Cary Joji Fukunaga both toured through the latter years of the Daniel Craig version of the character.)
Villeneuve being tapped for the job does raise some questions about timing: Casting notices for his third Dune movie, based off of the novel Dune: Messiah, have just started to roll out, with the film expected to begin shooting this summer. There’s no word yet on when he might thus be able to buckle down for some shaking and/or stirring, but we’re probably not seeing this new film until 2027 at the very earliest. (That’s a long time for Amazon to finally start getting anything back after the massive investments they’ve made to take control of the character.) Still, everybody involved sounds enthusiastic, with Amazon execs and executive producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman issuing statements praising Villeneuve today, and the director himself expressing his love for Bond. “Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007,” Villeneuve said in a statement. “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. 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.”
