Denis Villeneuve wants to direct the next ‘James Bond’ movie. The French Canadian filmmaker is one of the hottest names in Hollywood, currently doing press for his latest blockbuster, the science-fiction epic ‘Dune’. The latest film in the Bond franchise, ‘No Time To Die’, releases in the United States today, October 8, after having premiered in the UK in September.
For the first time in several years, the ‘Bond’ films are at a major turning-point. Cary Joji Fukunaga's ‘No Time To Die’ is the final film to feature Daniel Craig in the starring role, ending an era that transitioned 007 into a grittier, more realistic world, which some say has been the franchise at its best. No one knows as of yet what direction Eon Productions will take in choosing his successor, but with the pandemic catalyzing a massive shift in the film and TV landscape, their choice will almost certainly determine whether the series can continue at its current, grand scale.
Villeneuve, who is just coming off a comparably massive production, tells the Happy Sad Confused podcast he'd love a crack at shaping the next iteration of the iconic character. The director identifies himself as a staunch Craig-era fan, and admits that discovering where to go after him would be a real challenge. But, Villeneuve says, his enthusiasm for the franchise would compel him to try anyway.
Villeneuve says that he has yet to see the new film, but is awaiting it with great anticipation, though the ‘No Time To Die’ director would be major competition for the job. Despite having taken on Craig's last hurrah, Fukunaga would return after the transition if he could, recently revealing he has a pitch for the next ‘Bond’ movie already planned out. -Collider
