Amazon MGM Studios have assigned a director to the 26th main movie in the James Bond franchise.
Dune's Denis Villeneuve will helm the film, while long-time collaborator Tanya Lapointe will executive produce.
Amazon has finally confirmed that James Bond will return to cinemas and eventually streaming services with a major announcement that'll especially please sci-fi fans.
It has decided who is going to helm the next movie, and he's no stranger to science fiction and huge, action-packed set pieces.
Denis Villeneuve is a self-confessed fan of all things 007 and he'll be sitting in the director's chair for the 26th main movie in the franchise. He will be joined by long-standing collaborator Tanya Lapointe, who will serve as executive producer.
Villeneuve is best known for his incredible work on the Dune movie series, plus Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival before it. Each of the sci-fi epics are renowned for their cinematography, leaving us licking our lips on what he could do with the look of Bond.
However, he's also proved to be a dab hand at real world action, having also directed the gritty crime thriller Sicario.
Die-hard Bond fan
"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," said Villeneuve in a statement (via The Guardian).
"I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory,"
There's no word yet on who might actually play 007 in the new movie, with the likes of Theo James (The Gentlemen, White Lotus) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (28 Years Later, The Fall Guy) in the running. We also don't have a date for its release as yet.
We might have a while to wait. Villeneuve has a packed schedule at present, with pre-production on the third of the Dune trilogy having kicked off, while also being attached to the major new big screen production of Cleopatra.
Still, assigning a director – and one of the best currently around – shows Amazon's ambition for James Bond as it looks to the future of the franchise. Let's just hope it keeps a tight rein on spin-offs and TV series to avoid oversaturation before the film even arrives.
