James Bond fans were shocked when Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson relinquished creative control of the franchise to Amazon MGM Studios. Sure, the siblings enjoyed quite the payday, but it was still a bombshell that they would no longer be involved in the franchise their family had overseen since its inception. Amazon wasted little time in getting the ball rolling on the next movie, and quickly announced that Denis Villeneuve would direct it.
During an interview with Mark Kermode (via Deadline), Barbara Broccoli commented on Denis Villeneuve’s new gig. “He’s a fantastic filmmaker, I’m thrilled he’s going to be doing it,” she said. As Villeneuve had previously been mentioned as a potential Bond director during Broccoli’s tenure, it’s no surprise that she’s given him the seal of approval.
When asked if she would be “hands on” or “removed” from the new film, Broccoli implied that she had moved on. “You know, I did it for 44 years and I loved every minute of it, but I’m getting up there now and there’s a lot of things I want to do… like this beautiful musical [Sing Street],” she said. “I’m doing a lot of other things. I have other movies I want to make and other stage shows.“
Villeneuve will complete work on Dune Messiah before he turns his attentions to Bond, and the director is thrilled to get to take the helm of one of his favourite franchises. “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,” said Villeneuve. “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.“
As much as I love Denis Villeneuve, it’s hard not to think of No Time to Die as the true end of the James Bond franchise now that Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are out of the picture. Plus, there’s the concern that Amazon is going to ruin the franchise with too much James Bond content, be it spinoffs, TV shows, or something else.