Daniel Craig has had an impressive James Bond run, but that will soon come to an end, as the still-untitled James Bond 25 will mark his final outing as 007. Along with this being Craig's last contribution to the franchise, the 2019 blockbuster has also been looking for a director to replace Sam Mendes, who helmed Skyfall and Spectre. One of the names that was reportedly on the shortlist to succeed Mendes was Blade Runner 2049's Denis Villeneuve, but now the director has made it clear that he won't be able to work on James Bond 25 due to his packed schedule. Villeneuve said:
The thing is I don't now about that, but listen. Daniel Craig is a very inspiring actor and I had some contact and the thing is that I'm busy right now doing Dune. But, I will say to have the privilege to work with him it would be a dream. I would love to work with Daniel and a Bond movie for me would be a treat. It's a matter of timing, I guess.
Back in August, Denis Villeneuve was said to be one of the top three candidates in consideration to direct James Bond 25, with David Mackenzie and Yann Demange being the other frontrunners. The following month, it was reported that Daniel Craig wanted Villeneuve to take on the next Bond movie, believing he could refresh the spy franchise. Alas, it's not to be, as Villeneuve noted while speaking with The Playlist that he is too busy preparing to helm the new Dune adaptation. That's doesn't mean that he couldn't someday work on a James Bond movie or with Daniel Craig, but the combination of the two isn't in the cards.
Denis Villeneuve has been on a roll in Hollywood over the last couple years thanks to Sicario and Arrival, both of which earned numerous accolades. Although his latest movie, Blade Runner 2049, wasn't a commercial success (just like its 1982 predecessor), it was also met with impressive critical praise. Now that his time with Rick Deckard and the Replicants is over, Villeneuve is turning his attention to a new Dune movie, which was previously adapted for the big screen in 1984. Villeneuve is also reportedly teaming up with Sony to helm the Cleopatra biopic, so he has enough to keep himself busy for the next couple years.
Few details concerning James Bond 25 have been released to the public. Outside of Daniel Craig returning as the super spy, the only officially-announced talent attached to the project are screenwriters Neil Purvis and Robert Wade. Christoph Waltz, however, has said that he will not reprise Ernst Stavro Blofeld, though that's not to say someone else couldn't step into the characters shoes as has already happened many times. MGM and Eon are also looking for a new studio to release James Bond 25. Sony has bid to keep Bond in house, but Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, Apple and Amazon are among the other studios who've thrown their proverbial hat into the ring to snag that one-film deal.
James Bond 25 will be released in theaters on November 8, 2019. To learn about movies arriving a little sooner, scan through our 2018 premiere guide.
