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Christopher Nolan Came Close to Directing James Bond
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Now that we know Denis Villeneuve of "Dune" fame will be directing the next "James Bond" film, Variety reports that "Oppenheimer" director Christopher Nolan came closer than we thought to helming a film in the franchise.
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Variety says initially Amazon was "very interested" in recruiting Nolan to helm the long-awaited follow-up to "No Time to Die", even if that meant giving Nolan the final cut (something "James Bond" directors have historically been denied).
Christopher Nolan attends the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards held at The Beverly Hilton on February 8, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.
Christopher Nolan attends the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards held at The Beverly Hilton on February 8, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.
JB Lacroix/FilmMagic
As recounted by RadioTimes back in March, this isn't Christopher Nolan's first near-miss with the "Bond" franchise. The filmmaker pitched a "Bond" film after making "Tenet". His vision took the story back to the 1960s and would've been the first of a two-parter.
Things reportedly broke down between Nolan and Barbara Broccoli when the latter wouldn't compromise on giving Nolan the final cut.
Right now, Nolan is busy making "The Odyssey", which stars Tom Holland who is apparently on the shortlist to become the next James Bond. Variety reports the "Spider-Man" star is joined on that list by Jacob Elordi ("Saltburn") and Harris Dickinson ("Babygirl").
While Christopher Nolan ultimately won't be directing the next "Bond" film, his brother Jonathan Nolan was reportedly one of the directors beat out of the final running by Villeneuve. Variety reports the other directors up for the job were Edward Berger ("Conclave"), Edgar Wright ("Baby Driver"), and Paul King ("Wonka").
It's worth mentioning that while Villeneuve is locked in for "Bond 26", there's no telling who might follow for "Bond 27" and beyond. Villeneuve doesn't have final cut and he's only signed on for a single film.
Variety recounts that the last time a director helmed two "Bond" films in a row was Sam Mandes who directed both 2012's "Skyfall" and 2015's "Spectre."
Alfonso Cuarón ("Gravity") is another filmmaker who was, for a time, a favorite to helm the next "Bond" film, but he took himself out of the running by focusing on other projects, including "Jane" which will star Charlize Theron.
There's no word yet on who will write "Bond 26". Some early speculation tapped Jonathan Nolan for the job, but Variety reports that he isn't available to write.
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