James Bond: Why Christopher Nolan Isn’t Directing New 007 Movie

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Amazon MGM Studios was willing to give Christopher Nolan the final cut of a James Bond movie.

Earlier this year, Amazon MGM Studios gained full creative control of the James Bond franchise from Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson. It was then announced this week that Dune’s Denis Villeneuve has been tapped to direct a new Bond movie that likely won’t arrive until 2028.

Why isn’t Christopher Nolan directing the new James Bond movie?

Nolan’s name has often come up when discussing Bond, as many of his fans have wanted to see what his take on 007 would look like.

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According to a recent report from Variety, Amazon was “very interested” in working with Nolan on Bond, “even if that meant breaking a decades-long rule of not allowing a Bond director to have final cut. Until now, the Broccoli family held tight control of the franchise’s creative direction, and ultimately had final say.”

Whether or not Nolan is actually interested in potentially directing a 007 project someday is unclear; however, he’s not directing this movie because he’s currently “tied up” with The Odyssey “for at least a year.”

Nolan’s brother, Jonathan Nolan, was also potentially being eyed to helm the next Bond movie prior to the Villeneuve project. While Amazon is now searching for a writer and Jonathan has worked with them before on Fallout, Variety reports that he’s “not available.”

The Odyssey, which is currently in production, is an adaptation of the eponymous epic poem by Homer. Coming from Universal Pictures, the film boasts an enormous ensemble cast that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, Cosmo Jarvis, and more.

No casting has yet been announced for the next Bond movie, though Variety’s article notes that Holland, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson are all at the top of Amazon’s wishlist. Before getting started on Bond, Villeneuve is expected to first finish the third movie in his Dune franchise, which goes into production later this year.