James Bond: What the hiring of Denis Villeneuve tells us about 007’s future

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It was the hiring decision made in fanboy heaven. Amazon MGM Studios selected Canadian director Denis Villeneuve as the filmmaker to helm the next installment of the James Bond franchise — the first with a new lead as 007. For lovers of the spy series, the choice seemed to signal something about how the mega-corporation would handle an iconic cinematic property.

But what does Villeneuve in the director's chair suggest about Bond 26 in particular?

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With an impressive output since breaking onto the international film scene with 2010's Incendies and some serious experience in the franchise trenches, there's plenty in Villeneuve's track record that could inform what a Bond movie under his stewardship would look, sound, and feel like.

Amy Adams and Denis Villeneuve during filming of Arrival Paramount Pictures

He's taking this seriously

Villeneuve's encounters with preexisting properties have foregrounded reverence to the films or novels that have inspired his work. Blade Runner 2049 lovingly channeled the mood of Ridley Scott's original before moving beyond the boundaries of its story, and Villeneuve's Dune adaptation inherited its multi-part structure from his unwillingness to diminish Frank Herbert's story.

Connery is his Bond (probably)

In the statement released alongside the news of his hiring, Villeneuve referred to the character of James Bond as "sacred territory." And while that's a heavy sentiment, made by a man whose films are all quite somber, it speaks to his approach to the task ahead of him.

That same quote from Villeneuve name checks only one of the six actors who have played 007 in the mainline Eon films. "I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery," he said, which could be telling.

Denis Villeneuve directing Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford in Blade Runner 2049 Warner Bros.

Because of the series' vastness, "Who is your Bond?" is a fun question to ask among fans of the series, and if there is any rule of thumb as to how that's generally answered, it's that "your Bond" is the one you grew up with.

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So, theoretically, if Villeneuve is a Connery Bond sort of guy, how might that speak to his conception of the character? The 007 of classics such as From Russia With Love and Goldfinger is suave and witty, but also someone whose use of violence and aggression can border on frightening.

The movie will be gorgeous

Six of Villeneuve's seven movies have been nominated for Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards. Two of them won. His recent run of collaborators is a murderers' row of phenomenal DPs: Roger Deakins, Greg Fraser, and Bradford Young. The man simply knows how to pick them.

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