Dune Director Denis Villeneuve to Helm the Next James Bond Movie

The rumour mills can finally stop for who will be directing the next James Bond film, as it has been announced that Dune director Denis Villeneuve will be taking the reins of the series.

The shortlist of directors had been narrowed down to Edward Berger (Conclave), Edgar Wright (Baby Driver), Jonathan Nolan (Fallout TV Series), Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men), and Paul King (Paddington). Christopher Nolan’s name was mentioned until it was reported that the director stepped away from negotiations after being told he wouldn’t have the final cut on the film. Villeneuve won’t have a final cut on the Bond film either, and historically, no Bond director has ever had a final cut on a James Bond film.

Now, the attention turns to the whole world taking on the mantle of James Bond after Daniel Craig wrapped up his fifteen-year, five-film run as the MI6 spy. According to Variety, the producers of James Bond, Amy Pascal and David Heyman, are searching for an actor under 30 to play the role, and the shortlist currently includes Jacob Elordi (Saltburn), Tom Holland (Marvel’s Spider-Man), and Harris Dickinson (Babygirl).

The search for a writer for the unannounced Bond film is also underway. And with only a reported one film deal, Denis Villeneuve won’t have much say in who is brought in to write the film, nor who is cast as Bond, as the producing team looks to build the foundations for the years ahead of James Bond films.