Denis Villeneuve Is a ‘Fantastic’ Director, Says Barbara Broccoli After Giving Up Control of James Bond Franchise to Amazon: ‘I’m Thrilled He’s Doing It’

Longtime James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli recently appeared on the “Kermode on Film” podcast and gave her first comment about Denis Villeneuve being selected as the next James Bond film director. While Broccoli is still a co-owner of the 007 franchise, she has given up creative control to Amazon MGM Studios. The news shocked the industry when it was announced in February.

“He’s a fantastic filmmaker, I’m thrilled he’s going to be doing it,” Broccoli said when asked about Amazon selecting Villeneuve for its new Bond movie. Amy Pascal and David Heyman are serving as producers, taking over the job from the long-running duo of Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

When asked if she would be “removed” or “hands on” with the next Bond movie, Broccoli deflected by saying: “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.”

Broccoli is a producer on the musical adaptation of “Sing Street,” which recently opened at the Lyric Hammersmith theater in London.

As for Villeneuve’s Bond movie, not much is known other than the director and producers’ involvement. Tanya Lapointe is signed on as an executive producer as well.

“Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since ‘Dr. No’ with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory,” Villeneuve said in a statement when his hiring was announced. “I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor. Amy, David and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust.”

Villeneuve is currently in production on “Dune: Part Three,” so it’s unlikely his Bond movie goes into production anytime soon. In 2022, Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion, acquiring a vast catalog with more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows alongside the rights to distribute all of the James Bond films.