The Denis Villeneuve movies you need to watch – as he is confirmed for the next Bond film
Amazon MGM Studios has just announced that Oscar-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film in an incredibly exciting move for the spy franchise.
Accompanying Villeneuve will be his artistic partner and wife, Tanya Lapointe, as executive producer, as well as David Heyman and Amy Pascal as producers.
'Some of my earliest moviegoing 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,' Villeneuve said in a statement on Wednesday (25 June). 'I intend to honour 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.'
'We are honoured that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond's next chapter. He is a cinematic master whose filmography speaks for itself,' Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said of Villeneuve. It's fair to say that we can expect big things in the franchise's next instalment.
While we're rather excited that this big name in the business will be the creative mind behind what is one of the decade's most anticipated films, we can't ignore his already impressive, existing catalogue. Villeneuve is a four-time Academy Award nominee, known for his ability to combine blockbuster visuals with complex character storylines.
If, in the lead up to the release of what is currently known as 'Bond 26', you're looking to get a taste of Villeneuve's impeccable style, or refresh your memory on his skill, there are a number of his films we'd recommend you watch.
Dune
It's often been said that Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune is unadaptable to the big screen, but Villeneuve pulled it off. Somehow turning high-concept 1960s sci-fi psychedelia into an approachable action blockbuster, the 2021 Dune film follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). Paul, the son of the noble house Atreides, is pulled from his comfortable homeworld into a web of political intrigue on the desert planet Arrakis. Drawn into a complicated war over the psychotropic drug 'spice', Paul finds himself in the middle of dangerous machinations between his mother's magical, all-women cult, the terrifying feudal Harkonnens, and Arrakis' insurgent native population. Sounds like a lot, but Villeneuve manages to juggle all of this with some astonishing action set pieces.
Dune: Part Two
Spoilers ahead. Dune: Part Two was released in 2024, and once again follows Paul Atreides' journey. As he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen of Arrakis in a war against House Harkonnen, Paul has difficult choices to make between the love of his life, and the fate of the known universe. The mind-bending second act of Villeneuve's Dune trilogy, this film has some truly astonishing set pieces – once seen, the black and white infrared gladiator fight on Giedi Prime is never forgotten.
Blade Runner 2049
Blade Runner 2049 is a 2017 neo-noir sci-fi sequel to Blade Runner (1982). The film is set in Los Angeles in the year 2049, where replicants are still being used for slave labour. Working for the Los Angeles Police Department as a blade runner, K (Ryan Gosling) has the job of hunting down and retiring outdated Nexus-8 android replicants. After evidence emerges that replicants can reproduce, K is sent on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who has been missing for 30 years, with the help of his AI girlfriend Joi (Ana de Armas) and Freysa (Hiam Abbass). Visually stunning, the film somehow matches the neon heights of the original.
Sicario
Sicario is the most Bond-like of all Villeneuve's films. FBI special agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is drawn into the war on drugs at the border between the US and Mexico. This stunningly violent film follows Kate into a complicated plot unravelling the interplay between Mexican drug cartels and complicit US government agencies. Like Dune, this film is packed with intricate, hair-raising action set pieces that should translate perfectly into Bond.
Arrival
This beautiful film is a first-contact film like you've never seen before. After twelve mysterious spacecraft appear over the Earth, linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is tasked with deciphering an extraterrestrial language along with physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner). A slower, quieter film than Villeneuve's other blockbusters, the film focuses on the nature of language and memory as it follows Louise's painstaking work to decipher an alien language she cannot even hear. The award-winning soundtrack is truly spine-tingling, and the payoff to the shocking twist at the end of the film is another unforgettable Villeneuve moment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Skip Bayless slams 'sellout' Tom Brady for 'kissing LeBron James' a**' in latest bizarre rant
Skip Bayless' latest bizarre rant has dropped, with two of his favorite targets in his crosshairs again, with him accusing Tom Brady of 'kissing LeBron James a**'. Bayless took exception with LeBron James' live episode of 'The Shop' that took place during Fanatics Fest in New York City last weekend. Brady was one of James' guests, with the compliments between two of America's greatest sportsmen too much for the 73-year-old to bare. 'Tell me I'm wrong about this, LeBron James just can't help himself. He, just can't hide his runaway insecurity,' Bayless began. 'Over knowing deep, deep down that he will never ever be seen as the greatest basketball player ever, by those who really know the game, by anyone who really matters.' 'And yeah, I know that over the weekend Tom Brady called LeBron James the greatest ever while sitting up on stage with LeBron at the Fanatics Fest in New York City. What a sellout Tom Brady has become post-football off the field, and he was undoubtedly the greatest football player ever on the field.' 'All-time great clutch competitor, Tom Brady, but man, when it comes to maximizing his money, Tom Brady will say and do whatever is required to polish his good guy image. He loves everybody and everybody loves Tom Brady. And he even kissed LeBron's a** in front of LeBron because he knows how many billions of followers, how many fans LeBron has, and what a powerful financial alliance he could form with the King post football, probably post basketball for LeBron.' 'So, Tom Brady rather pathetically said of LeBron in front of LeBron to the Fanatics Fest crowd, the live audience, and here's the quote, "He's always done things the right way. He's always risen above the noise and the BS and continued to deliver. So you're witnessing the greatest ever, and I hope you guys appreciate that."' Bayless has been a vocal critic of James throughout his NBA career and been in a tiff with Brady over the last several weeks. Earlier this week, Bayless left fans baffled with a rant about the NBA Draft and white basketball players - referencing himself as a 'reverse racist'. 'Cooper Flagg will be the best white American player since Larry Bird,' Bayless said. 'I'm not saying that I'm seeing Larry Bird [in Flagg], not yet, because I've never seen anything like Larry Bird when it came to clutch gene, basketball genius IQ, killer will, defiant arrogant trash-talking confidence, all-time great leadership right up there with Michael Jordan 's, Magic Johnson 's. 'So is it fair for me to compare white American player to white American player? Well if you followed my career, when it came to basketball - I have been painfully honest about this - I have never ever had much respect, much use for, white American players.' From there, the conversation veered further off-course and Bayless began to speak about the issue of racism. 'In fact,' he claimed, 'many many many times over my career I've been called reverse racist... but, come on, show me a white American player remotely close to Larry Bird since he retired in 1992. 'Cooper Flagg is 6'9
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
I'm a hairdresser – there's a phrase new clients say that's a total red flag… it crosses the line and annoys us
NO MATTER how long you've known your hairdresser, getting a big chop can always be a but nerve-wracking. But if you are going to a new hairstylist, there's one phrase you might want to avoid if you want to stay on their good side. 2 2 This is according to one hairdresser, to took to TikTok to explain how that all important client-hairdresser relationship can go awry. The pro, who goes by @mobilestylisthubclub online, dished the dirt on social media. So, what's the phrase you should avoid? Well, apparently if you tell your new styler 'my old hairdresser used to do my hair like this' before explaining, it might not go down so well. The hairdresser went on to share some tips for other professionals if they ever find themselves in the sticky situation. Rather than telling clients to 'go back to them then', the pro suggested a few alternatives. She said: "[You could] say, 'Rather than showing me how your old hairdresser used to do your hair, can you show me some images of what you're hoping to achieve and I'll see if they' will work with your hair type/texture?'" Not only that, but the pro urged other hairstylists to say something alone the lines of: 'I appreciate you may be nervous about having your hair done by another hairdresser, but you are in safe hands'. "Reassure them and help to calm their nerves," she said. Of course, clients might still not be completely on board, and if they keep bringing up how their old stylist would do their hair it might be no use. In the case, the pro said you might not be a great match for the client. "Do your best to offer the best possible outcome, and politely explain that you may not be a good fit for each other," she said. After sharing the advice, other stylists chimed in to share how they deal with similar situations. One said: "I normally ask what they liked about how they did it or I'll explain why I do it differently." A second chimed in: "I don't see this comment as a problem, if they liked it that way I would try to do it the way she wanted." "I don't see this as an issue," another agreed. Hairstyles that are kind to your locks Loose Braids: Opt for loose, soft braids rather than tight ones to minimise tension on the scalp and reduce breakage. Low Ponytail: A low ponytail is less stressful on your hair compared to high, tight ponytails. Use a fabric-covered hair tie to avoid snagging. Messy Bun: A relaxed, messy bun can be both stylish and kind to your hair. Avoid pulling your hair too tightly and use gentle hair ties. Soft Waves: Embrace your natural texture or use heatless methods to create soft waves, reducing the need for damaging heat styling tools. Half-Up, Half-Down: This style keeps some hair pulled back while leaving the rest down, reducing the strain on your scalp. Headbands and Scarves: Using headbands or scarves can keep hair out of your face without causing damage, and they can be quite fashionable. Loose Plaits for Sleeping: Before bed, loosely plait your hair to prevent tangles and breakage overnight.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Legendary Mission: Impossible composer Lalo Schifrin dies aged 93
The legendary composer who wrote the Mission: Impossible theme song has passed away at the age of 93. Lalo Schifrin died inside his Los Angeles home on Thursday from complications with pneumonia, his son, Ryan, confirmed. He was surrounded by his loved ones. Schifrin was a jazz pianist and classical conductor and had a remarkable career in music that included working with Dizzy Gillespie and recording with Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan. His biggest contribution was the instantly recognizable score to television's Mission: Impossible, which fueled the just-wrapped, decades-spanning feature film franchise led by Tom Cruise. Schifrin originally wrote a different piece of music for the theme song but series creator Bruce Geller liked another arrangement Schifrin had composed for an action sequence. 'The producer called me and told me: 'You're going to have to write something exciting, almost like a logo, something that will be a signature, and it's going to start with a fuse,'' Schifrin told the AP in 2006. 'So I did it and there was nothing on the screen. And maybe the fact that I was so free and I had no images to catch, maybe that's why this thing has become so successful - because I wrote something that came from inside me.' When director Brian De Palma was asked to take the series to the silver screen, he wanted to bring the theme along with him, leading to a creative conflict with composer John Williams, who wanted to work with a new theme of his own. Out went Williams and in came Danny Elfman, who agreed to retain Schifrin's music. Hans Zimmer took over scoring for the second film, and Michael Giacchino scored the next two. Giacchino told NPR he was hesitant to take it on, because Schifrin's music was one of his favorite themes of all time. 'I remember calling Lalo and asking if we could meet for lunch,' Giacchino told NPR. 'And I was very nervous - I felt like someone asking a father if I could marry their daughter or something. And he said, 'Just have fun with it.' And I did.' Mission: Impossible won Grammys for best instrumental theme and best original score from a motion picture or a TV show. In 2017, the theme was entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Schifrin has composed more than 100 arrangements for film and TV. The Argentine won four Grammys and was nominated for six Oscars, including five for original score for Cool Hand Luke, The Fox, Voyage of the Damned, The Amityville Horror and The Sting II. 'Every movie has its own personality. There are no rules to write music for movies,' Schifrin told The Associated Press in 2018. 'The movie dictates what the music will be.' He also wrote the grand finale musical performance for the World Cup championship in Italy in 1990, in which the Three Tenors - Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras - sang together for the first time. The work became one of the biggest sellers in the history of classical music. Schifrin was born Boris Claudio Schifrin to a Jewish family in Buenos Aires, where his father was the concertmaster of the philharmonic orchestra. Schifrin was classically trained in music, in addition to studying law. After studying at the Paris Conservatory, where he learned about harmony and composition from the legendary Olivier Messiaen, Schifrin returned to Argentina and formed a concert band. Gillespie heard Schifrin perform and asked him to become his pianist, arranger and composer. In 1958, Schifrin moved to the United States, playing in Gillespie's quintet in 1960-62 and composing the acclaimed Gillespiana. The long list of luminaries he performed and recorded with includes Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Dee Dee Bridgewater and George Benson. He also worked with such classical stars as Zubin Mehta, Mstislav Rostropovich, Daniel Barenboim and others. Schifrin moved easily between genres, winning a Grammy for 1965's Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts while also earning a nod that same year for the score of TV's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. In 2018, he was given an honorary Oscar statuette and, in 2017, the Latin Recording Academy bestowed on him one of its special trustee awards. Later film scores included Tango, Rush Hour and its two sequels, Bringing Down The House, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, After the Sunset, and the horror film Abominable. Writing the arrangements for Dirty Harry, Schifrin decided that the main character wasn't in fact Clint Eastwood's hero, Harry Callahan, but the villain, Scorpio. 'You would think the composer would pay more attention to the hero. But in this case, no, I did it to Scorpio, the bad guy, the evil guy,' he told the AP. 'I wrote a theme for Scorpio.' It was Eastwood who handed him his honorary Oscar. 'Receiving this honorary Oscar is the culmination of a dream,' Schifrin said at the time. 'It is mission accomplished.' Among Schifrin's conducting credits include the London Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Mexico Philharmonic, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He was appointed music director of Southern California's Glendale Symphony Orchestra and served in that capacity from 1989-1995. Schifrin also wrote and adapted the music for Christmas in Vienna in 1992, a concert featuring Diana Ross, Carreras and Domingo. He also combined tango, folk and classical genres when he recorded Letters from Argentina, nominated for a Latin Grammy for best tango album in 2006. Schifrin was also commissioned to write the overture for the 1987 Pan American Games, and composed and conducted the event's 1995 final performance in Argentina. And for perhaps one of the only operas performed in the ancient Indigenous language of Nahuatl, in 1988 Schifrin wrote and conducted the choral symphony 'Songs of the Aztecs.' The work premiered at Mexico's Teotihuacan pyramids with Domingo as part of a campaign to raise money to restore the site's Aztec temple. 'I found it to be a very sweet musical language, one in which the sounds of the words dictated interesting melodies,' Schifrin told The Associated Press at the time. 'But the real answer is that there's something magic about it. 'There's something magic in the art of music anyway.' He's survived by his sons, Ryan and William, daughter, Frances, and wife, Donna.
