That Time Denis Villeneuve Told Us About What He’d Do With James Bond Years Ago

What does a James Bond movie directed by Denis Villeneuve look like? That has become a significant question for 007 fans in recent days, as the acclaimed filmmaker behind Blade Runner 2049, Dune, and Dune: Part Two has signed a deal that will see him helm the first film in the post-Daniel Craig era of the superspy franchise. Many will be waiting with baited breath for all of the new insight that will be offered in the coming days regarding his vision – but that really just makes it all the funnier that his first comments about directing a Bond movie were published nearly a full decade ago.

In the last 10 years of his career, the French-Canadian filmmaker has demonstrated himself to be a diverse storyteller when it comes to genre, and when he tipped his toed into the world of action in 2015 with his crime thriller Sicario, it got him thinking about what he might do with a James Bond blockbuster. Speaking with ComingSoon.net about his aspirations, Villeneuve said,

Denis Villeneuve is only now attached to make a James Bond movie, but audiences have certainly seen the sensibilities that he has described here in his work. His films aren't totally without great dialogue-driven scenes, but he is a very visual storyteller who very clearly prefers showing over telling, and it will be fascinating to see how that translates to his adventure with 007.

When I consider this comment, I particularly find myself wondering how the hiring of Denis Villeneuve will impact the casting process. The most recent rumors have suggested that Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi and Harris Dickinson are among the finalists for the gig, and I wonder if there might be an inclination to favor a star in that group with non-verbal charisma to best fit Villeneuve's style. That being said, Villeneuve is reportedly only contracted to make one Bond movie, and that means he may not have traditional sway when it comes to picking the new face of the franchise.

There is still a lot that we don't know about Bond 26, and it may be a minute until we get more firm facts about the production given that Denis Villeneuve is currently developing Dune: Messiah as his next feature and the spy movie has an ETA of 2028. That being said, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates about the project as they are announced.