New ‘James Bond’ director Denis Villeneuve reveals his favourite 007 film
New James Bond director Denis Villeneuve has revealed his favourite 007 film.
In a resurfaced clip shared by a Reddit user, the Dune director was asked if he had any guilty pleasures, to which he replied: “I’m a major Bond fan, and there’s nothing like a good James Bond to cheer you up.”
“I will say that Casino Royale, the first Daniel Craig [film], is still one of my favourites of all time,” he added in the 2021 interview. “I went through these movies several times in difficult periods.”
On Wednesday (June 25), Amazon MGM Studios announced via a press release that Villeneuve has been confirmed to direct the next Bond flick, which will also mark the first 007 film under the studio.
In a statement, the Blade Runner 2049 director said: “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 honour. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust.”
Further details on the next Bond film have yet to be revealed, including its cast, release date and plot.
As for agent 007 himself, the search is on for the next Bond, after Daniel Craig made his final appearance in the role in 2021’s No Time To Die. In a four-star review of his final on-screen outing, NME‘s Alex Flood wrote: “For the most part, and with so much at stake thanks to COVID decimating cinema, No Time To Die producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson should be applauded for taking some bold risks.
“The gobsmacking ending, in fact, may be the biggest in Bond history. Yet when the credits finally roll on Daniel Craig’s last hurrah, all those difficulties fade into the background. If we didn’t know better, we’d say it even looked like he enjoyed himself.”
Back in March, it was announced that the long-serving producers of the films, Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson, had stepped away from the creative process and handed over control to Amazon MGM Studios, ending over 60 years of the Broccoli family’s control of the Bond estate.
Bond fans have not reacted kindly to the news of the franchise’s sale, with some predicting that Amazon will “ruin” the series by over-saturating the market with “mediocre spin-offs”.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has often been considered the front-runner for the role, and last year, it was reported that he had been offered the job, although the actor avoided the question when asked about it on the red carpet for action-comedy The Fall Guy.
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Poppy Burton
NME
