As the 2025 movie schedule turns, we’ve seen a lot of movement on the picture we still call James Bond 26. A whole bunch of changes have taken shape, most notably the departure of former Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. The long-time producers of the 007 saga aren’t totally divested from the goings on, however, as Ms. Broccoli has actually shared her reaction to Denis Villeneuve landing the Bond 26 director’s chair.
During her chat on film critic Mark Kermode’s podcast, Kermode on Film, the previous overseer of the James Bond movies provided this feedback:
He’s a fantastic filmmaker, I’m thrilled he’s going to be doing it.
Denis Villeneuve, much like former competitor Christopher Nolan, is someone we all know has been chasing that famed gun barrel. With Amazon-MGM’s rumored Bond 26 plans seeming to gain momentum, the hiring has sparked all sorts of speculation, especially when it comes to the recently rumored James Bond candidates.
At the same time, the progress on the follow-up to No Time to Die has seen momentous shake-ups altering the playing field for the first time in decades. Thanks to Amazon-MGM’s James Bond deal, the studio has creative control, which saw the hiring of producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman as the new overseers of all things Bond.
Meanwhile, Barbara Broccoli seems to be at peace with her trajectory moving forward, post-007. While there were reports of alleged frustration with Amazon-MGM's executive team on where to take things after Daniel Craig's tenure concluded, the optimism shown in this interview seems to run counter to that impression.
Commenting on her time in the franchise, as well as her plans for the future, the producer of the stage musical adaptation of Sing Street had this to say:
You know, I did [Bond] for 44 years and I loved every minute of it, but I’m getting up there now and there’s a lot of things I want to do… like this beautiful musical. I’m doing a lot of other things. I have other movies I want to make and other stage shows.
Clearly, there are open roads for all, based on what’s been said here. It truly is sweet to see Barbara Broccoli throwing her support behind Denis Villeneuve, as he makes his way to his Bond 26 duties. Now, all that needs to happen is for the recently retitled Dune: Part Three to be completed, and the Sicario mastermind can get to the task at hand.
Oh, and there’s also the task of getting a script in play. Not to mention hiring the new James Bond, and the rest of the MI6 family - should they be present in this new relaunch. We’ve still got some time until James Bond returns, but if you want to catch up with Paul Atredies, the spice will flow again into theaters on December 18, 2026.
