Denis Villeneuve has offered a small but promising update on the next James Bond movie. The director says the search for the franchise’s new leading man is moving forward. He stopped short of naming anyone, but his latest comments suggest the casting process is picking up speed.
Denis Villeneuve says he’s ‘pushing the gas’ on James Bond casting now
Denis Villeneuve shared the update during a conversation with GQ at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. When interviewer Zach Baron asked whether the role had been filled, the filmmaker replied, “It’s in the process,” before adding with a smile, “I am pushing the gas.” Baron then jokingly asked him to blink once for Robert Pattinson and twice for Callum Turner. Villeneuve didn’t give either actor a signal.
The director also understands the pressure attached to taking charge of the long-running spy series. Although he couldn’t reveal much about the untitled 26th Bond film or discuss its production schedule, he made his expectations clear. “We cannot f— it up. We do not have the choice,” he said. Casting speculation has recently included Turner, Slow Horses star Jack Lowden and Pattinson.
The Bond assignment comes as Villeneuve closes a major chapter of his career. He had just approved the 70mm IMAX print of Dune: Part Three, bringing its post-production work to an end. The milestone also marks the conclusion of roughly 10 years spent on the films. He described himself as feeling both “light” and “numb,” calling the period the most “rewarding” and “inspiring” decade of his filmmaking life.
Villeneuve has also explained why the third Dune film won’t simply repeat the formula of its predecessors. He became interested in adapting Dune Messiah after finishing Part Two, describing the new movie as “a different beast.”
Its story centers on the rift between Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, and Chani, portrayed by Zendaya. Villeneuve takes Chani in a different direction from Frank Herbert’s book, portraying her as a skeptic who questions Paul’s rise to power.
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