Former James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli breaks her silence on Denis Villeneuve’s hiring for Bond 26. After decades under control of Eon and the Broccoli family, the hit espionage franchise officially fell entirely under Amazon’s purview earlier this year.

The company has been quick to get the ball rolling on another movie after No Time To Die (2021) brought an end to the successful Daniel Craig era. Though Bond 26 story details remain unknown, it was officially announced last month that Villeneuve will shepherd the upcoming installment as director.

During a recent interview with Mark Kermode on his Kermode on Film podcast (via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline), Broccoli expresses enthusiasm about Bond 26‘s new director. The long-time franchise overseer doesn’t go into too much detail regarding her thoughts on the next film, but she does call Villeneuve a “fantastic filmmaker.” Check out her comment below:

“He’s a fantastic filmmaker, I’m thrilled he’s going to be doing it.”

The conversation then turns to whether Broccoli will be “removed” or more “hands on” with Bond 26. Reiterating what has been previously reported, the producer makes clear her time with 007 is over and that she will be focusing on other projects:

“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.”

What This Means For Bond 26

Denis Villeneuve’s Hiring Explained

There has been some suggestion that the relationship between Broccoli and Amazon had soured by the end of last year, two years after the company bought out long-time Bond distributor MGM. Broccoli and her creative producing partner Michael G. Wilson have historically been against creating a 007 cinematic universe, and Amazon’s takeover raised a number of questions about what’s next for the property.

By and large, Villeneuve’s hiring has been met with a very positive response. The director is behind films like Prisoners (2013), Sicario (2015), Arrival (2016), Dune (2021), and last year’s acclaimed Dune: Part Two, meaning he comes to the Bond franchise with a number of impressive тιтles under his belt.

Amazon certainly doesn’t need Broccoli’s seal of approval for anything Bond-related anymore, but her long tenure with the franchise means it could help foster some goodwill among fans worried about how the company will handle this iconic character. Building 007 out into a cinematic universe is undoubtedly still on the table, but Villeneuve’s hiring suggests the debut film is at least in good hands.

What’s more, it’s been reported that one aspect of Villeneuve’s deal has carried over from the Broccoli era. Christopher Nolan was reportedly in talks to direct a 007 movie at one point, but he demands final cut on all his movies, which was said to have been a deal-breaker. Villeneuve, it’s said, will not have final cut on Bond 26.

Our Take On Broccoli’s James Bond Comments

Amazon Could Break Major 007 Franchise Traditions

There remains a certain amount of skepticism about Bond‘s future under Amazon. It feels like only a matter of time before audiences get a Moneypenny TV show, a Felix Leiter spinoff, and other such expansions. Villeneuve’s hiring has seemingly alleviated some of these concerns, at least temporarily, but who the company chooses to play the next Bond is the next major question.

Broccoli and her partners have traditionally gone with lesser-known actors to play Bond, but Amazon is reportedly looking at younger stars like Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson, at least two of whom would be a significant departure from this trend. James Bond‘s future still remains somewhat up in the air, but Villeneuve directing certainly seems like a positive first step.

Source: Kermode on Film (via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline)