The Most Iconic Spy Franchise Just Found An Intriguing Director

Denis Villeneuve has become the director du jour for defunct, forgotten, or “unadaptable” franchises. He did the impossible with Blade Runner 2049, respecting Ridley Scott’s iconic cyberpunk vision without making a copy-paste sequel. Then he rose into the upper echelon of blockbuster filmmaking with Dune, the adaptation that fans of Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi had been awaiting for decades.

With so many other hits — don’t forget Prisoners or Arrival — under his belt, Villeneuve is now the kind of blank check filmmaker who can go anywhere and do anything. That’s both a blessing and a curse for Denis-heads: some are clamoring for the director to finish his Dune trilogy as soon as possible, while others are hoping he takes a detour to helm another original story.

As of now, Villeneuve has three disparate projects in active development. He’s in talks to adapt Nuclear War: A Scenario, but first up will likely be an adaptation of Dune: Messiah, which is set to premiere sometime in 2026. After that, the director is making a surprising pivot to another franchise in flux, teaming up with Amazon MGM to reboot 007.

Bond remains one of the most in-demand properties for directors, despite Amazon’s recent acquisition of the franchise. The studio wrested control of Bond from Eon’s Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson in February 2025, which raises the stakes of this reboot. Villeneuve emerged victorious from a contentious race, beating out directors like Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead), Edward Berger (Conclave), and Jonathan Nolan (Fallout), and it will be interesting to see what Villeneuve does with near-total creative freedom.

“I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory,” Villeneuve said in a statement. “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.”

Villeneuve is currently searching for a screenwriter to help deliver his version of Bond. There’s no telling who he’ll choose to play the next 007, but given his habit of casting unconventional leading men for his blockbusters, it’s safe to assume that casting will be the first of many surprises in store.