Latest news with #MichaelGWilson
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
British star Matthew Goode reveals dark reason Bond producers rejected him
Matthew Goode has revealed the dark reason James Bond producers rejected him moments after meeting him. James Bond bosses have been whittling down the long list of actors for years in a desperate bid to find the man who will replace Daniel Craig. Barbara Broccoli, 65, along with her brother Michael G. Wilson, 83, were the producers of the Bond franchise before they were replaced by Amazon MGM Studios for a massive $1 billion dollar deal in February. And before they chose Craig, Dept. Q star Goode revealed on Thursday's episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he was personally invited for a sit down chat with the producers who were seemingly interested in potentially having him be the new Bond before the role eventually went to Craig. However, sadly the meeting didn't go as the actor had planned. 'I didn't get to the audition,' remarked the star. 'But it was quite a funny one because — and she's gorgeous and just a lovely, lovely person — she was like, 'So what's your idea for Bond?' And I was like, 'My idea for Bond. We've gotta take it back to the books, you know? Really, we absolutely have to make this guy an alcoholic, a drug addict. He hates himself. He hates women. He hates a lot of people. He's in deep pain. He's brilliant at killing people.'' Goode confessed that his vision for the character didn't end up sitting well with the then producers, who swiftly dismissed him from the meeting. Goode reflected: 'I think by the end of the interview, she was like, 'Mhmm. Next.' I wanted to make it really dark.' 'I should have said was, 'But also incredibly charming.'' laughed the star. 'Ultimately, you know. What they did get was Daniel Craig.' Meanwhile, the rumour mill has been continually whirring as to who will take on the iconic 007 gig. But most recently, it was Aaron Taylor-Johnson who has dropped hints that he'll be stepping into Bond's shoes. The Marvel movie star, 34, recently signed a deal with Omega – the brand of watch the 007 spy wears. Omega has been supplying timepieces to the iconic movie character since the release of 1995's Golden Eye. When asked previously whether he would step into Bond's shoes, the Marvel star said: 'I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment.'
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Gun for hire: what does Denis Villeneuve joining as director tell us about the new James Bond?
At last. Something. Something has emerged from the vast opaque corporate entity that is Amazon Prime, which swallowed up the James Bond brand from Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli – the latter being reportedly discontented (though presumably very much richer). White smoke has emerged from the funnel marked 'director' – though still nothing from the funnel marked 'star' – and it's a really big hitter. Denis Villeneuve is the Canadian film-maker who gave us the excellent science-fiction movies Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and Dune Parts One and Two, and has demonstrated a real flair for big-budget action thrillers in Sicario and Prisoners, with plenty of the ambient sexiness in hardware and spectacle. (Perhaps Villeneuve will now get the ultimate corporate blessing of being a last-minute wedding guest at the Bezos wedding in Venice this weekend, precisely the sort of event that tends to feature as a Bond film opening scene, to be disrupted by helicopter attack, explosion, kidnapping etc. Mr Bezos himself needs a white persian cat on his lap to stroke.) Villeneuve is much more than a safe pair of hands or a technical director who can be relied upon to do what the suits tell him; he is an alpha-grade auteur in the same league as Christopher Nolan and so his presence will reassure the fanbase with mixed feelings about the Amazon sale. The message is that, yes, Amazon is still thinking big and that the future Bond will be primarily up there on the big screen where Villeneuve has made his reputation and not simply on the smaller screens where long-form streaming content is reportedly going to be spun off: The Adventures of Moneypenny, The Prequel Adventures of M etc etc. (Although these are surely in development.) But even given that Villeneuve is in place and he can work perfectly happily with James Norton or Regé-Jean Page or Henry Golding or Tom Hiddleston … what about the writing? When Danny Boyle was temporarily and unhappily brought on as director in 2018, the problem was that he had his own very specific creative vision as regards story, wishing to work in tandem with his own longtime collaborator, the screenwriter John Hodge. But their ideas wouldn't fly with Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli who had their own trusted writers, Bond script veterans Neal Purvis and Robert Wade who had a track record of getting the goose to lay the golden egg as regular as clockwork. Who will Villeneuve want to work with? He co-wrote with Jon Spaihts on Dune, with Hampton Fancher and Michael Green on Blade Runner 2049, with Eric Heisserer on Arrival and with Taylor Sheridan on Sicario – on the face of it, he has no sustained partnership in the way Boyle had with Hodge and so he is perhaps not yet married to any high-concept visionary plans, which are going to go over badly when he presents them to Amazon. My guess is that, among these existing writers, he might more instinctively want to work with Sheridan who has certainly shown he can deliver action, thriller-drama and unresolved sexual tension on the 'secular' level outside science fiction. But basically, yes, Denis Villeneuve is very good news for Bond: a smart, capable director who is going to produce the bangs for Amazon's buck and a witty, involving story for the fans.
The Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Die hard James Bond fan' officially announced as next 007 director ahead of new movie
A SELF-CONFESSED "die hard Bond fan" has been officially announced as the director of the new 007 movie. The chuffed Canadian film-maker told how some of his "earliest movie-going memories" were linked to the James Bond movie franchise. 6 6 6 Now Dune director Denis Villeneuve, 57, has been appointed the director of the 26th James Bond flick by Amazon MGM, with an announcement revealing he will also work as executive producer. It comes as the mystery as to who will play the movie protagonist remains under wraps - with a new Brit name in the frame. Now Denis, who has also made films including Sicario and Arrival, will work on the flick alongside his professional partner Tanya Lapointe. He spoke out after his role was made public and said: "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." In the statement, he added: "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. "Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust." Awkward moment Hollywood star SWERVES James Bond question live on air BOND DETAILS Previously, it was also confirmed that Bond will still be a British man despite the film rights Hollywood streaming site Amazon. Half-siblings Barbara Broccoli, 64, and Michael G Wilson, 83, took over the Bond franchise from their father and stepfather Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli - who bought the film rights from Bond creator Ian Fleming in 1961. Since then there have been 25 movies - where Bond defeats villains bent on destruction, all while drinking martinis and seducing women. Before giving up ownership of the popular film franchise, 007's stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson insisted the spy would retain his nationality and gender. Timeline of James Bond actors Over the years there have been seven actors who have played 007. The first ever James Bond film was in 1962, and this is who has played the lead role over the years: Sean Connery - The late star was the first ever actor to play Bond, and reprised the role for seven movies. George Lazenby - The star only played Bond once, but was the youngest actor to ever play the spy. Roger Moore - The late movie star spent 12 years making seven films in the famous franchise. Timothy Dalton - The smooth actor took over from Roger Moore and appeared in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. Pierce Brosnan - The handsome star played Bond for four movies from 1995 to 2002. Daniel Craig - The British star was the first blonde James Bond and the sixth actor to win the role in 2005. Ms Broccoli, who took over the Bond brand from company Eon Productions alongside Mr Wilson in 1995, made the arrangement before she agreed to sell the rights to Amazon in a £770million deal. An insider told the Mail on Sunday: 'Amazon is committed to keeping the spirit of Bond alive and that means he has to be British or from the Commonwealth - and he has to be male.' TOP SPOT? Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have all been tipped to replace Daniel Craig as the Secret Service agent. Aaron, 34, fuelled rumours he'd bagged the role after signing a deal with Omega - the brand of watch the 007 spy wears. Omega has been supplying timepieces to the iconic literary and movie character since the release of 1995 flick, Golden Eye. The Sun told last year how Aaron had been offered the job - with insiders saying at the time Eon Productions were keen to snap him up. Despite that, still hovering around the top spot is fellow Brit hunk Theo James, 40, who some fans are convinced will lead the race to victory. Bookmakers Coral also told how Kirkby-born TV star Stephen Graham, 51, had entered the line-up contenders. Yet The Underground Railroad screen star Aaron Pierre, 31, is now a new name in the frame. 6 6 6
BBC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
James Bond: Denis Villeneuve to direct next 007 film
Denis Villeneuve, the Oscar nominated French-Canadian filmmaker, will direct the next James Bond film, Amazon MGM Studios has a statement released by the studio, Villeneuve says he is a "die-hard James Bond fan" and intends to "honor the tradition" of the has been swirling over the future of the 007 films after long-time Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepped down from their roles in will also serve as executive producer of the new film and has received global acclaim for his recent take on the Dune franchise, along with hits such as Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival. Amazon did not release details on the next actor to play James Bond in the acknowledged the "massive responsibility" of helming the new film and expressed his excitement at the challenge."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," he said."I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come."He added that he and fellow producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are "thrilled to bring him [Bond] back to the screen".Head of Amazon MGM Studios Mike Hopkins hailed Villeneuve as a "cinematic master" and praised his ability to deliver "immersive storytelling" for global audiences."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," he and Heyman added it was always Villeneuve's dream to make a Bond film and "we are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker".It's still unclear when the next Bond film will be released as the search for the next actor to play the titular spy actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson and James Norton have been rumoured as frontrunners, while Irish actor Paul Mescal's name has also been thrown into the gained prominence with a series of critical successes including Sicario, Prisoners and 2016 science fiction thriller Arrival earned him his first Oscar nomination for recently, blockbusters Dune and Dune: Part Two grossed a combined total of more than $1bn (£730m) worldwide, with both films nominated for Best Picture Oscars in their respective is expected to start shooting Dune Messiah, the third movie of the Dune franchise, later this year with a potential release date in 2026.
Geek Tyrant
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Denis Villeneuve Set to Direct the Next JAMES BOND Film — GeekTyrant
After months of speculation, Amazon MGM Studios has confirmed that Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve is officially set to helm the next James Bond installment. This announcement comes after a long stretch of behind-the-scenes wrangling over the Bond franchise's creative direction, especially since Amazon acquired MGM for $8.5 billion in 2022. While Amazon gained distribution rights back then, they only recently secured full creative control of the Bond franchise through surprising deal with longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Since No Time to Die closed out Daniel Craig's run in 2021, Bond has essentially been in a holding pattern… until now. Villeneuve wasn't the only name being floated. According to Puck's Matt Belloni, other contenders included Edward Berger, Edgar Wright, Paul King, and, for a time, Alfonso Cuarón. But Cuarón reportedly bowed out, and Villeneuve, a lifelong Bond fan, rose to the top. Villeneuve is currently locked into Dune: Messiah , set for release in December 2026. He's also juggling a stack of high-profile projects, including Cleopatra , Rendezvous with Rama , and an adaptation of Annie Jacobsen's Nuclear War: A Scenario . There's no word when he'll get around to making Bond, but the franchise is in good hands. He's already proven he can handle enormous IP with his signature auteur style. Both Dune films raked in critical acclaim, over $1.1 billion globally, and 15 Oscar nominations (eight wins). Then there's Blade Runner 2049 , which, despite its modest box office, has only grown in appreciation since its release. Villeneuve, who will executive produce alongside Tanya Lapointe, Amy Pascal, and David Heyman, clearly doesn't take this assignment lightly. He said in a statement: '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 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. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust.' Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, added: 'We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond's next chapter. He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself. From Blade Runner 2049 to Arrival to the Dune films, he has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters, and—most importantly—the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theaters. 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.' Producers Pascal and Heyman added, 'Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy. It was always his dream to make this movie, and now it's ours, too. We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker.' No word yet on casting or a title or even what Bond's next mission will look like. But, under Villeneuve's direction, I have no doubt he'll do something awesome with it!
