The franchise Denis Villeneuve “dreams” to be a part of
By the end of the 2010s, French/Canadian director Denis Villeneuve had firmly established himself as the de facto filmmaker brought in to oversee the 21st-century revival of gargantuan franchises. In 2017, he gave us Blade Runner: 2049, a sequel to arguably the most revered, iconic and culturally impactful entry in the science fiction canon.
Anticipations were high, but the levels of quality this new movie in the universe reached were infinitely higher. Before the 2020s had rolled on, it was official: Villeneueve would be helming Warner Bros attempt to bring Frank Herbert’s epic cosmic saga Dune to modern audiences, just under 30 years since David Lynch’s notorious version which still holds its status as a critical and commercial disaster.
There was no question of Lynch’s talent as a director, and it was clear that the failure of 1984’s Dune was due to studios interfering with an auteur vision – but would history repeat itself with Villeneuve? Thankfully not; the keys were handed to the director in every sense, and the result was an astonishing visual and sonic cinematic experience that rivalled The Lord of the Rings in terms of expansiveness and singular creative voice.
Ballsy enough to include the subheading ‘Part One’ in 2021, the director took a gambit and hoped that the first film’s success, which was based on the first half of Herbert’s novel, would be enough to secure a follow-up. As we now know, Dune: Part One was an unequivocably massive hit, and audiences can look forward to Part Two in March next year.
Having now worked for over a decade with some of the industry’s most prominent players, directing actors like Timothée Chalamet and Emily Blunt and working with acclaimed and award-winning cinematographers like Roger Deakins, it’s hard not to imagine any studio that would hesitate to pass him the reigns for their next big project, be it based on a new concept or a preexisting and beloved IP. There’s one series, however, which the director thinks would be a “dream” to be part of.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Villeneuve clarified how much he’d love to tackle a James Bond movie. “Franky — and I cannot believe I would say that — but the answer would be a massive yes,” he told the host when asked if it’s something he’d consider. “I would deeply love to one day make a James Bond movie.” If he wants it to happen, he better get a move on: talks are already gaining traction about Christopher Nolan being crowned the new 007 director following the billion-dollar success of his recent movie, Oppenheimer.
Nevertheless, Villeneueve’s passion for the character and deeply entrenched fixation on it was heartfelt, and it’s hard to imagine how someone with his directorial sensibilities could offer anything but an excellent entry. “It’s a character that I’ve been with — like everybody — since my childhood,” the Blade Runner 2049 director said. “I have massive affection for Bond. I’m one of the biggest Bond fans. It’s true that it would be a dream to do 007”
