Who Should Direct the Next James Bond Film?

It’s no secret that we’re likely to get a new James Bond film sooner rather than later, now that Amazon MGM has taken creative control of the franchise. Is that a good thing? Most think not, but it does remain to actually be seen what this all means for the series. One thing that needs to happen, however? Work needs to be done on an actual movie. So, I’m going to do my part. A writer for Bond does need to be selected, but once that’s done, we need s director. So, I’m going to help and run down some potential 007 director options.

What I’m going to do is separate the candidates into a few categories. Three, to be specific, for a total of seven candidates, even if only five (and maybe fewer) are actually realistic. They’re simply the ones that occurred to me as the names that should be bandied about over at Amazon MGM (a cursory look at other lists out there confirms that I’m not alone in considering them). Consider this a starting point for discussing who should be at the helm of the first Bond flick since No Time to Die…

The A-List Pipe Dreams

Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and Quentin Tarantino

To be fair, Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino are almost certainly not realistic options. The only way this would work, as mentioned on the Podcast this week, would be if Amazon opted for some unique one-off films. So, consider them pie in the sky and wishful thinking. Christopher Nolan, however, is apparently their top choice, so make of that what you will. Nolan could have come aboard recently, but his need for final cut was rebuffed by Barbara Broccoli, so who knows what would happen here. Is he at all likely? No. Is he going to be offered the gig? Almost certainly.

High End Former Flirtations

Danny Boyle and Denis Villeneuve

Danny Boyle actually was the original director on what would become No Time to Die, so bringing him back, especially when his supposedly unusual take on the material would be less out of place, does make a lot of sense. Additionally, the franchise was lusting after Denis Villeneuve but couldn’t get him to commit. Maybe the deeper pockets of Amazon MGM, especially as he’s finishing up his Dune series in the near future, could do the trick? These aren’t impossibilities, to be sure, but they might be less likely than they should be, which brings us to our next category…

Plausible Picks with Cache

Edward Berger and Steve McQueen

Now, we have two realistic yet still high end choices. Edward Berger actually has felt like the leader in the clubhouse, especially prior to Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson giving up creative control. Berger, like Osgood Perkins (a far longer shot) have spoken critically of Amazon, so that could be an issue. However, he just makes sense. Steve McQueen is no stranger to dealing with streamers now, given Blitz being on Apple, so he’s one of the more auteur options who could make sense. I’d be very surprised if both weren’t at least being discussed, if not outright courted…

Overall, I think Berger is the cleanest and most obvious choice, followed by McQueen and Villeneuve, with Nolan looming as the wild card. There are tons of more likely directors that could get the job, though they’re far less exciting, so they’re all sort of lumped into the “someone else” field for me.

Who would you like to see direct the next James Bond film? Who do you think is the likely 007 helmer? Let us know!