So, what legendary media property does Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival director Denis Villeneuve have his eye on after he wraps up his ongoing Dune saga? If you guessed Star Wars, Star Trek, or any other star voyaging affair, you might be surprised to hear that’s not the case. While the director has certainly made a name for himself creating sci-fi hits, it turns out Villeneuve is actually interested in pursuing a project a bit more… grounded. Something shaken, not stirred.
In a recent appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast (via IndieWire), Villeneuve shared he would “deeply love” a take at none other than the James Bond franchise, explaining to Horowitz he’s been a fan of the character since childhood. Considering current 007 director Cary Fukunaga’s run with the series’ just wrapped up with No Time to Die earlier this month, there might not be a better time for Villeneuve to voice his “massive affection” for the character, as talks have begun as to who will replace both Fukunaga and lead star Daniel Craig.
“Frankly, the answer would be a massive yes,” Villeneuve responded. “I would deeply love one day to make a James Bond movie. It’s a character that I’ve been with since my childhood. I have massive affection for Bond [..] I don’t know if such a thing would happen, but it would be a privilege. That would be pure cinematic joy.”
However, cinematic joy aside, Villeneuve also admitted the idea of taking on the 007 series following Daniel Craig’s departure is a bit intimidating, stating that as “one of the biggest Bond fans,” he found what Craig brought to the series’ “unmatchable.”
“It would be a big challenge to try and reboot it after what Daniel did. What Daniel Craig brought to Bond was so unique and strong and honestly unmatchable. He’s the ultimate James Bond. I can’t wait to see Cary’s movie. I’m very excited. I’m one of the biggest Bond fans.”
Either way, it’s safe to say a Denis Villeneue James Bond movie is still quite a ways out if one were to happen. As of right now, the director is keeping busy working on the second part in his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, which — if the first film does well enough — should hit theaters sometime in the next couple of years. While the director originally wanted to release both Dune Part I and Dune Part II at the same time, Warner Bros. and Legendary have apparently kept their feet firmly down with the director, stating they wanted to see the success of the first film before signing off on the second. The first Dune film is scheduled to release in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22.
