Latest news with #EonProductions
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Timothee Chalamet being considered for Bond role as his Dune director Denis Villeneuve takes on 007
He has been lauded for his turn as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve's two-part Dune adaptation, with the pair recently partnering up again for number three. So, it is perhaps no surprise that Villeneuve is considering casting Timothée Chalamet in his first ever James Bond film. The French-Canadian filmmaker, 57, will helm the next instalment in the British spy franchise – the first since Amazon completed its massive $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM Studios and parted ways with longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Chalamet, who has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, saw his odds increase in the wake of the news. But the 29-year-old, famed for playing Willy Wonka and Bob Dylan and dating Kylie Jenner, won't be Daniel Craig 's successor, with a source insisting 'an American actor will not play Bond.' 'Timothée Chalamet could be a part of a future Bond film, but in no way shape or form will he be James Bond,' the insider told 'An American actor will not play Bond, it is not going to happen, so that leaves Timothée out of the running for the lead.' There hasn't been a new 007 film since 2021's No Time to Die, which marked Craig's swansong as the famous secret agent after five outings. Since then the fate of the franchise has been up in the air after Amazon bought MGM. The company partners with Eon Productions on Bond. A statement released in February revealed Broccoli and Wilson will 'remain co-owners of the franchise' but that Amazon MGM Studios 'will gain creative control.' Wilson, 83, said he was 'stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects' while Broccoli, 64, added: 'With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.' According to the Wall Street Journal, when asked about the deal last year, she told friends: 'These people are f***ing idiots.' Villeneuve described himself as a 'die-hard Bond fan' after news of his directing gig was announced this week. 'To me, he's sacred territory,' he said in a statement. 'I intend to honor 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 honor.' Bond has yet to be cast, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson – who was said to have completed a screen test at Pinewood Studios with Broccoli in March 2022 – the current favorite. 'The role of Bond is Aaron's to lose,' our insider said. 'He is still on the top of the list. The film is going to be put together pretty fast but Denis understands how important it is to get the casting just right.' Pierce Brosnan previously threw his support behind the BAFTA-nominated star, whose breakout role was playing John Lennon in 2008 film Nowhere Boy – which was directed by his now-wife Sam Taylor-Johnson. Brosnan, 71, who played the intelligence agent in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, said he believes his former co-star has the 'chops' to take on the mantel. 'I would definitely tip my hat to the fellow,' he said last year. 'I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so.' George Lazenby, 85, who enjoyed one stint as the 007 agent in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, also endorsed Taylor-Johnson, as well as former Bond villain Jonathan Pryce. The actor, 77, who starred opposite Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies, previously told Good Morning Britain: 'He's grown into a wonderful actor and when he was a little younger, he did this extraordinary sort of action film where he played a superhero. 'And he's great, look at him now, he's black tie, handsome and yeah, he'd be a great Bond.' Johnson, who has offered cryptic responses to interviewers desperate for clues about Bond, could face competition from Theo James, Henry Cavill, Callum Turner, James Norton and Aaron Pierre, whose names have all been in the mix.
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Dynamic director Denis Villeneuve can breathe new life into flagging James Bond franchise
Yesterday morning, the blockbuster auteur behind the Dune films and Arrival was announced as the director of the 26th Bond film, which remains − for now − untitled and un-cast. These two further puzzle pieces will doubtless slot into place soon enough, though Villeneuve's appointment offers a tantalising glimpse of what the future direction of 007 under his new owners at Amazon might be, as well as granting the tech giant's handling of the franchise a much-needed PR boost. After Amazon's acquisition of Bond cost them $9.5bn (€8bn) and a creative falling out with Barbara Broccoli's Eon Productions – the keepers of the Bond flame since the Sean Connery years – the stakes have never felt higher for appointing the right director. Securing Villeneuve hushes complaints from every direction imaginable – this is a director whose work has screened at Venice and Cannes, is a four-time Oscar and five-time Bafta nominee and has taken almost $2bn at the global box office. His two Dune films alone grossed just over $1.1bn, despite the first being semi-nobbled by Covid. It's also a move that Broccoli herself could have never taken issue with, since she tried to do the same around 10 years ago during the search for a director for No Time to Die, the last instalment in the Daniel Craig run. Villeneuve is known to be bloody-minded when tangling with executives Back then, Villeneuve recused himself as he was busy with the first instalment of Dune − and indeed he's currently consumed with part three, Dune: Messiah, which is expected to shoot later this summer then land in cinemas by the end of next year. This means that even with a Ridley Scott-like work ethic, we won't be seeing Villeneuve's Bond until the summer of 2027 at the earliest. Yet Broccoli's smartest directorial hirings were always journeymen rather than visionaries – think Martin Campbell of GoldenEye and Casino Royale and Sam Mendes of Skyfall and Spectre. These were filmmakers who would bend to Bond's will, rather than vice versa. Villeneuve is quite a different kettle of fish and known to be bloody-minded when tangling with executives on stylistic matters. The first major scenes he shot for Dune: Part Two were nightmarish monochrome infrared sequences, which led to frantic calls from studio heads who wanted to 'put the colours back in' in the edit. Because Villeneuve had shot them on infrared cameras, this was impossible. Nor is he the type to take a gun-for-hire approach when working on an established movie brand. The last – and only – time he hopped into a franchise mid-stream was Blade Runner 2049, a film whose cold visual magnificence, dreamlike texture and tone of mounting existential disquiet was wholly in keep- ing with his earlier, self-authored work. And that suggests his take on 007 is unlikely to appease the sizeable Make Bond Fun Again cohort − if Timothee Chalamet's Paul Atreides and Ryan Gosling's Nexus-9 replicant K are anything to go by, his 007 will be a pre-institutionalised pretty boy who bridles at the system that dispassionately puts him to use. You could say the same, in fact, of Emily Blunt's FBI agent Kate Macer from his chokingly tense 2015 cartel thriller Sicario − presumably the film that offers the most clues as to how a Villeneuve Bond might look and move. Meticulously staged, strikingly shot action scenes are a given, as well as a commitment to realism, or at least plausibility: in other words, no invisible cars or tsunami kite-surfing ahead. Even the Dune films, with their bizarre technology, costumes and rituals, presented all of that spectacularly designed strangeness without explanations or excuses. The result may be the strangest Bond film ever made I remember Villeneuve once telling me that in order to make Dune's spacecraft feel truly cinematic, he had to force himself to shoot them as if they were ordinary cars, using atmospheric effects like mist, rain and dust to force the audience to crane in, rather than flaunt them like crisp 4K tech demos. All of the above suggests that Bond 26 will be a film that doesn't fall over itself to make the world love it – which, at this make-or-break juncture, is exactly what the franchise needs. Amazon will have surely made this decision with one eye on their tepid and muddled Lord of the Rings prequel series, The Rings of Power – without strong direction, prestigious acquisitions can become corporate humiliations fast. After the Broccoli rift, 007 had to be taken firmly in hand, and the hiring of Villeneuve represents a stern summons to Whitehall for a rigorous briefing. True, the result may be the strangest Bond film ever made, but if the alternative was to be 12 hours of Blofeld: Origins on Prime, we should all be glad of it.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Dune director Denis Villeneuve is the best thing to happen to James Bond in a long time
Who's going to be the new James Bond? After five and a half years of fevered speculation, we finally have something approaching an answer: pretty much anyone Denis Villeneuve likes. Earlier this morning, the blockbuster auteur behind the Dune films and Arrival was announced as the director of the 26th Bond film, which remains – for now – untitled and un-cast. These two further puzzle pieces will doubtless slot into place soon enough, though Villeneuve's appointment offers a tantalising glimpse of what the future direction of 007 under his new owners at Amazon might be, as well as granting the tech giant's handling of the franchise a much-needed PR boost. After Amazon's acquisition of Bond has cost them the crazy total of $9.5 billion, and a creative falling out with Barbara Broccoli's Eon Productions - the keepers of the Bond flame since the Sean Connery years - the stakes have never felt higher for appointing the right director for the franchise. But securing Villeneuve quiets complaints from every direction imaginable – this is a director whose work has screened at Venice and Cannes, is a four-time Oscar and five-time Bafta nominee, and has taken almost $2 billion at the global box office. (His two Dune films alone grossed just over $1.1 billion, despite the first being semi-nobbled by Covid.) It's also a move that Broccoli herself could have never taken issue with, since she herself tried to do the same around 10 years ago, during the search for a director for No Time to Die, the last instalment in the Daniel Craig run. Back then, Villeneuve recused himself as he was busy with the first instalment of Dune – and indeed he's currently consumed with part three, Dune: Messiah, which is expected to shoot later this summer then land in cinemas by the end of next year. (This means that even with a Ridley Scott-like work ethic, we won't be seeing Villeneuve's Bond until the summer of 2027 at the earliest.) Yet Broccoli's smartest directorial hirings were always journeymen rather than visionaries – think Martin Campbell of GoldenEye and Casino Royale, and Sam Mendes of Skyfall and Spectre. These were filmmakers who would bend to Bond's will, rather than vice versa. Villeneuve is known to be quite a different kettle of fish, and known to be bloody-minded when tangling with executives on stylistic matters. The first major scenes he shot for Dune: Part Two were nightmarish monochrome infrared sequences, which led to frantic calls from studio heads who wanted to 'put the colours back in' in the edit. (Because Villeneuve had shot them on infrared cameras, this was impossible.)
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Denis Villeneuve to direct next James Bond film in major franchise shake-up
The Oscar-nominated Canadian filmmaker, best known for helming critically acclaimed blockbusters including Dune, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, will take the reins of the iconic British spy series as part of a significant creative overhaul. The director said in a statement on Wednesday: 'Some of my earliest movie-going 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. '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.' Head of Amazon MGM Studios, Mike Hopkins, said of Villeneuve joining the franchise: 'We are honoured that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond's next chapter. 'He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself… James Bond is in the hands of one of today's greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007's next adventure.' Villeneuve's appointment comes as Eon Productions, run by longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, handed over creative control of the franchise in a landmark deal. Wilson and Broccoli had produced the franchise since the death of Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli. The official film franchise had been controlled by members of the Broccoli family, either single-handedly or in partnership with others, since the first 007 movie Dr No in 1962. The move signalled a new era for 007 following the departure of Daniel Craig, who concluded his tenure as Bond with No Time to Die, which grossed $774 million worldwide. A release date has not yet been announced and the casting of the new Bond remains unconfirmed. Speculation continues to swirl, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James and James Norton all considered frontrunners for the role. Taylor-Johnson recently stoked fresh speculation when he told press on the red carpet for 28 Years Later that he 'couldn't talk about' his next project. Villeneuve is currently preparing to begin production on Dune: Messiah, the third film in his Dune series, which is set for release in 2026. He is also attached to a number of other high-profile projects, including a Cleopatra biopic, an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, and a film based on a short story by South Korean science fiction author Kim Bo-young.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Denis Villeneuve to direct next James Bond film in major franchise shake-up
Denis Villeneuve has been confirmed as the director of the next James Bond film, Amazon MGM Studios has announced. The Oscar-nominated Canadian filmmaker, best known for helming critically acclaimed blockbusters including Dune, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, will take the reins of the iconic British spy series as part of a significant creative overhaul. The director said in a statement on Wednesday: 'Some of my earliest movie-going 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. '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.' Head of Amazon MGM Studios, Mike Hopkins, said of Villeneuve joining the franchise: 'We are honoured that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond's next chapter. 'He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself… James Bond is in the hands of one of today's greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007's next adventure.' Villeneuve's appointment comes as Eon Productions, run by longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, handed over creative control of the franchise in a landmark deal. Wilson and Broccoli had produced the franchise since the death of Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli. The official film franchise had been controlled by members of the Broccoli family, either single-handedly or in partnership with others, since the first 007 movie Dr No in 1962. The move signalled a new era for 007 following the departure of Daniel Craig, who concluded his tenure as Bond with No Time to Die, which grossed $774 million worldwide. A release date has not yet been announced and the casting of the new Bond remains unconfirmed. Speculation continues to swirl, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James and James Norton all considered frontrunners for the role. Taylor-Johnson recently stoked fresh speculation when he told press on the red carpet for 28 Years Later that he 'couldn't talk about' his next project. Villeneuve is currently preparing to begin production on Dune: Messiah, the third film in his Dune series, which is set for release in 2026. He is also attached to a number of other high-profile projects, including a Cleopatra biopic, an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, and a film based on a short story by South Korean science fiction author Kim Bo-young.
