Earlier this month, Puck was the first to report on the shortlist of directors in the running to direct the next James Bond film and they now have more information after Denis Villeneuve's (Dune, Sicario) formal hiring.
According to the site, which is ran by former THR entertainment journalist Matt Belloni, Villeneuve won't have final cut on the project. He's also only signed on for one installment, so he can walk away from the franchise if he doesn't have a pleasant experience on the reboot.
It should be noted that no director ever had final cut on a Bond movie when the Broccoli family controlled the IP and that seems to be a practice that Amazon MGM will hold on to after paying Barbara Broccoli over $1 billion for exclusive creative control.
Amazon MGM is currently looking to hire a screenwriter and then they'll cast Daniel Craig's 007 replacement once the script is complete.
Villeneuve is expected to complete filming on his third Dune entry and then once that's complete, take a pass at rewriting or touching up the script for the Bond remake and then go straight into production.
Producers Amy Pascal (Ghostbusters, Marvel's Spider-Man trilogy) and David Heyman (Harry Potter, Barbie) are currently leading the Bond remake for Amazon MGM and they were the ones who decided to hire Villeneuve over the likes of Edward Berger (Conclave), Edgar Wright (Baby Driver), Jonathan Nolan (Fallout), and Paul King (Paddington).
They'll also hire the writer and select the actor to play Bond.
In additional reporting from Variety, it's been revealed that the three actors on the shortlist to play Bond are Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson. The site adds that Amazon and the producers want someone under 30 to star in the first entry of an intended franchise, therefore Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Henry Cavill, Aaron Pierre, and Idris Elba are not being considered.
Deadline's best film reporter, Justin Kroll stated that Villeneuve likely won't have final say over who will be cast.
Additionally, it seems Christopher Nolan and Alfonso Cuarón were both sought before Villeneuve, but both directors turned it down. For Nolan, they were even willing to give him final cut but The Dark Knight helmer opted for The Odyssey instead. Likewise, Cuarón chose another project, Jane, starring Charlize Theron.
On selecting Villeneuve, Pascal and Heyman shared that Denis Villeneuve has been passionate about James Bond films since childhood. They expressed that creating this movie has become their dream as well and said they feel fortunate to be working with such an exceptional filmmaker.
One of the most concerning revelations from Puck’s report is that Denis Villeneuve allegedly does not have final cut on the film. Situations like this can sometimes spark creative tension, potentially leading to significant conflicts between directors and producers over the film’s vision and execution.
Past instances where this occurred include Ridley Scott and Blade Runner's original 1982 release, David Fincher on 1992's Alien 3, Josh Trank on 2015's disastrous Fantastic Four reboot, and David Ayer on 2016's Suicide Squad.
Dune: Part Three is expected to begin filming later this summer, for an anticipated theatrical release on December 18, 2026. That means Villeneuve likely won’t begin working on the Bond film until sometime in early-2027, with production unlikely to start until later in the year.