Joey Magidson
Earlier this week, I asked all of you what you thought about Denis Villeneuve being hired to direct the next James Bond film (and Steven Knight being hired to write the screenplay). That question got me thinking about Bond directors overall, since Villeneuve is the rare auteur to be given the gig. So, since I still wanted to write a bit about 007 this week, I settled on looking at the franchise’s directors, leading to a ranking.
Today, I’m ranking the men who have helmed a 007 movie (or multiple ones). The thing is, several have done more than one film, some of which varied wildly in quality. So, next you’ll see a bit of a cheat sheet about who made what, which will help in setting the stage for the actual ranking that I did. Take a gander at the bullet points next…
- Terence Young started things off with Dr. No, while also helming From Russia with Love and Thunderball.
- Guy Hamilton fully created the 007 feel with Goldfinger, while also coming back later on to do Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun.
- Lewis Gilbert did You Only Live Twice, before returning later on in the franchise to make The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker.
- Peter R. Hunt was a one and done, but his one was On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, among the best Bond films to date.
- John Glen had the longest uninterrupted streak of being in the 007 director’s chair. He went five in a row, doing For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, and License to Kill.
- Martin Campbell then revived the franchise with GoldenEye, before coming back a decade later to reboot things with Casino Royale.
- After Campbell, there was a forgettable streak of Bond one-off filmmakers. Roger Spottiswoode made Tomorrow Never Dies, Michael Apted made The World is Not Enough, Lee Tamahori made Die Another Day, and Marc Forster followed Campbell’s origin story with Quantum of Solace.
- Sam Mendes became the highest profile filmmaker to do 007, shattering records with Skyfall before returning to also do Spectre.
- Most recently, it was Cary Joji Fukunaga wrapping up Daniel Craig‘s time as Bond with No Time to Die, becoming the first filmmaker to (spoilers) kill off the spy. Now, it’s Villeneuve’s turn to take a crack at things.
Below, you’ll see my 007 director list. The above guide should give you some idea of where I stand, but there are some clear cut tiers. Campbell kind of has to be towards the top of the list, if not the top, while a Tamahori should be near or at the bottom. For me, Mendes and Young deserve high placements, while someone else might be more partial to Hamilton. Your mileage may vary, of course, given the various Bond styles that we’ve seen over the years.
Here now is my ranking of the James Bond directors. Behold:
12. Lee Tamahori
11. Michael Apted
10. Marc Forster
9. Roger Spottiswoode
8. John Glen
7. Lewis Gilbert
6. Peter R. Hunt
5. Guy Hamilton
4. Cary Joji Fukunaga
3. Terence Young
2. Sam Mendes
1. Martin Campbell
What is your James Bond director ranking? Let us know!
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