Denis Villeneuve declines Bond film — with regret
The in-demand director tied to personal dream project, remake of Dune
Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve had to turn down the chance to direct the new James Bond movie after signing on for his “dream” remake of David Lynch’s sci-fi classic Dune.
The Blade Runner 2049 director was approached by franchise producer Barbara Broccoli and asked if he would be interested in taking over the reins of Daniel Craig’s fifth and final outing as the British superspy — but he was unavailable.
“I said to Barbara, ‘I would love to work with you and with Daniel, but I’m engaged,’” he told ScreenDaily.com. “I will love to do it, honestly. I’m a spoiled filmmaker right now. I think Daniel Craig is a fantastic actor and I would like to (work with him), but several months ago I came in to do Dune, and I engaged myself. I committed myself and I’m someone that doesn’t step back.”
Villeneuve boarded the Dune reboot at the start of 2017, eight months before Craig confirmed he’d be reprising his role as 007 for a follow-up to 2015’s Spectre, which was directed by Sam Mendes.
The remake was something the French-Canadian moviemaker couldn’t resist, because he had been angling for the chance to revamp the cult 1984 movie, based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 book of the same name, for decades.
Admitting Dune is a project he’d been dreaming of “for 30 years,” he continued, “I want to honour that. It doesn’t mean the movie will happen (straight away), maybe in six months it will — and Bond is an old fantasy of mine, but I can’t be in two places at the same time. It’s a strange year because I would love to do a James Bond (film), but I need to focus.”
The new Bond director has yet to be revealed, but Broccoli recently suggested she would consider hiring the franchise’s first female filmmaker.
“It’s incredibly important to support change in front of and behind the camera,” she told Screen Daily. “I love working with women. It’s a different vibe.”