Denis Villeneuve to Direct Next James Bond Film
Amazon MGM Studios announced today that Denis Villeneuve has signed on as director of the next James Bond film. Villeneuve will also serve as executive producer, alongside Tanya Lapointe.
As previously announced, Amy Pascal (best known for her work on the Spider-Man franchise) and David Heyman (who produced all eight Harry Potter films) will serve as producers of the new movie.
“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 Denis Villeneuve. “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.”
The filmmaker continued, “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.”
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.”
Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, commented, “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.”
Villeneuve’s film credits include Incendies (2010), Prisoners (2013), Enemy (2013), Sicario (2015), Arrival (2016), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Dune (2021), and Dune: Part Two (2024). The filmmaker is currently working on the third Dune film, which is scheduled to begin shooting this summer.
“James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema,” said Pascal and Heyman when they were announced as producers. “We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson who made so many extraordinary films and honoured and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure.”
Back in February, Amazon MGM Studios gained creative control of the James Bond franchise from Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
In 2022, Amazon acquired MGM, which included a vast catalog comprising more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows. Since the MGM acquisition, Amazon has held the rights to distribute each James Bond film.
James Bond reunites Pascal with Amazon MGM Studios. She is currently in post-production on the studio’s upcoming Phil Lord- and Christopher Miller-directed Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, which the studio plans to release on March 20, 2026.
Previously for Amazon MGM, she produced the Luca Guadagnino-directed Challengers, starring Zendaya. Along with Lord and Miller, she is producing the upcoming MGM+ and Prime Video streaming series, Spider-Noir, starring Nicolas Cage.
Upcoming, she is producing Narnia alongside Mark Gordon, which Greta Gerwig is directing for Netflix, as well as Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, alongside David Heyman, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler, also for Netflix.
Pascal is best known for her work on the Spider-Man franchise, serving as a producer on the last three Spider-Man movies starring Tom Holland, with the fourth movie, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. She has also produced the Spider-Verse movies, with production currently underway for the third movie, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
David Heyman produced all eight film adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, as well as the three Fantastic Beasts films.
Among his other credits are Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Laura Dern, Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as well as the Paul King-directed Paddington, Paddington 2, and Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet.
Heyman is currently in pre-production on the Harry Potter television series. He is in post-production on Taika Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguru’s Klara and the Sun, starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams, as well as Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, which he is producing alongside Amy Pascal, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler.
