To be perfectly honest, I figured that with the lack of movement from EON Productions following the 2021 release of No Time to Die, and their seeming inability to get past the departure of Daniel Craig as 007, James Bond, despite the final credit of that film, would not return. And I made peace with that idea, figuring that in my lifetime I’ve gotten 25 adventures that carried me from the age of 5 to this point 60 years later. Well, it seems that reports of the death of Bond have been greatly exaggerated.
As has been well documented, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson of EON sold creative control of the franchise to Amazon (the new owners of MGM, which controls the other half of the rights) for no less than a billion dollars. That was step number one in getting things on track. Number two was the hiring of David Heyman and Amy Pscal (respectively responsible for the Harry Potter and Spider-Man film franchises) as producers. Now comes word that Denis Villenueve, whose credits include, among other films, Blade Runner 2049 and the first two entries in the Dune saga, will be serving as director.
In a press release from Amazon, here’s what he had to say: “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. 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.”
From there, Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, added, “We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter. He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself. From Blade Runner 2049 to Arrival to the Dune films, he has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters and—most importantly—the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theaters. James Bond is in the hands of one of today’s greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007’s next adventure.”
But wait, there’s more in the form of a joint statement from Pascal and Heyman: “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.”
Naturally, we know nothing about the plot, who will be the seventh actor to play Bond or where the script will be coming from, though there are rumors that this will likely be the youngest portrayal of the character we’ve yet seen so that he will evolve over the course of several films. While I am no gamer, I have to admit that I was intrigued by the approach taken in the trailer for the new video game, 007 First Light, which is also taking the young Bond approach.
So, let me get this straight: The new Superman is being released on July 11 and James Bond is coming back? As Kramer proclaimed on Seinfeld, “I’M OUT!!”
Can’t wait.
Tags: James Bond