Denis Villeneuve helming the James Bond relaunch after the British spy was killed off could be the greatest thing to happen to the franchise, but can he deliver what fans, and crucially the studio, want? The announcement of the new 007 director was made overnight with great fanfare, and with everyone involved making all the right noises, but there are numerous concerns.
The French-Canadian director makes arthouse movies that look like Hollywood blockbusters. I love every languid second of them, but many find them impenetrable. He lets profound ideas and sumptuous imagery breathe and linger long after the credits roll, but audiences often stay away.
The hauntingly beautiful Arrival with Amy Adams was a moderate hit but the mesmerising Blade Runner 2049 flopped at the box office, losing at least $80million. The Dune duology’s combined $1.1billion take is strong but not dazzling when most credible blockbusters easily pass the billion mark.
Does Villeneuve have what it takes to open a new era of the longest running and proudly British franchise in cinema history?
James Bond is the ultimate crowd-pleaser, all about the ever-more bombastic stunts and set pieces, suave yet testosterone-fuelled attitude, and snappy one-liners. Breathtaking, but always with tongue firmly in cheek.
The staggering Dune movies rightfully won Oscars for production design, special effects and sound editing. They are masterpieces but I confess I still wanted more oomph from the very long-awaited climactic battle, and neither was a barrel of laughs. Then again, neither was the book.
The recent announcement stresses Villeneuve as a pair of safe hands. As a life-long “die-hard fan,” he says Bond is “sacred territory” and he will “honour the tradition.” Promisingly, he also started his career making comedy shorts, so I’m dying to see what he can bring to 007 quips and double entendres.
Best of all, everyone in Hollywood wants to work with him. With everyone from Aaron Taylor-Johnson to James Norton in the mix, don’t be surprised if he stuns with a left field pick. Just don’t listen to the preposterous Timothée Chalamet rumours, unless he somehow triples in bulk.
For me, the question isn’t whether Denis Villeneuve can make the next great 007 movie, it’s whether Amazon MGM will let him.
The streamer will want big returns on its eye-watering $8.45 billion purchase of Bond parent company MGM in 2022. There are numerous rumours of cash-spinning spin-offs. Which was often cited as a major reason why Bond gatekeepers Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother have held Amazon in stalemate since 2022.
In the past, visionary directors like Christopher Nolan and Danny Boyle failed to fit the Bond mould, with the latter quitting No Time To Die over the dreaded « creative differences. » He, apparently, didn’t think it was time to croak.
The Broccoli’s have produced the Bond films since 1962 opener Dr No but are suddenly no longer involved. That does not mean, of course, that Amazon will not have a very strong vision of their own. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos already raised eyebrows with a crowdsourcing campaign asking the public who they wanted as Bond, indicating a determination to give fans what they, and not a director, want.
And let’s not forget that all the streaming giants from Amazon to Netflix and Apple have a terrible track record with action flicks that lazily rely on big budgets and star-power at the expense of decent scripts.
How much freedom will Villeneuve be given, and will it be enough for him to stay?
