Former James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has weighed in on the hiring of Denis Villeneuve to direct the long-awaited next instalment of the spy saga. Speaking to the Kermode on Film podcast, Broccoli described Villeneuve as "a fantastic filmmaker" and stated, "I'm thrilled he's going to be doing it."
Broccoli and her brother Michael G. Wilson surprised many in the industry earlier this year when they ceded creative control of the 007 series to Amazon MGM Studios. They had previously been the co-producers of the series since 1995's Goldeneye. In an unusual agreement, Broccoli and Wilson remain co-owners of the franchise alongside Amazon MGM Studios, with the latter party steering the course of Bond's missions.
When asked if she would have any involvement in Villeneuve's film, Broccoli turned the attention to her new project – a stage adaptation of the 2016 movie Sing Street, saying, "You know, I did it 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."
Broccoli is the daughter of Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, one of the original producers on the Bond films, starting with Dr. No back in 1962. In total, Cubby Broccoli co-produced 16 Bond movies, ending with 1989's Licence to Kill. He had a "presenter" credit on 1995's Goldeneye, but by that point Barbara Broccoli and her brother Michael G. Wilson had taken charge of the franchise.
The untitled new Bond film remains a little ways off. Denis Villeneuve is currently hard at work on Dune Part 3, which is set for a late 2026 release, with reports stating that the tricky task of finding a replacement for Daniel Craig's Bond won't take place until the film's script is complete.
While we wait, why not check out our Bond movie rankings here.
