James Bond is always a topic on the lips of film lovers worldwide, whether its discussing which Bond song is best to who should take on the mantle of 007 after Daniel Craig stepped down following his final appearance as Bond in “No Time to Die.”
But let’s take a moment to ponder who may be in charge behind the screen instead of who’ll be roughing up bad guys in front of it. We’ve had some excellent directors take charge of Bond before including Martin Campbell, Cary Fukunaga, and the Oscar-winning Sam Mendes. But who could be next to take on the huge responsibility of helming a James Bond film in what is one of the franchise’s most transitional moments? Here are 10 filmmakers we think could do a great job.
So, we’ve had the perennial discussion about which actor could or should be the next James Bond but what about the man behind the camera? Strangely, the conversation around which director should helm a Bond movie doesn’t seem to take off quite as much — but it certainly deserves to. With that in mind, here are 10 directors we’d love to see take charge of the next James Bond movie.
Christopher Nolan
The fans’ number one choice. Nolan’s movies are always events — from “The Dark Knight” all the way up to “Oppenheimer,” which won him the Best Director Oscar, Nolan is one of the best technical directors around. He is an expert in melding exquisite action set-pieces into the most intriguing narrative stories. Several of his movies already evoke a sense of Bond, including his Batman trilogy, “Inception,” and “Tenet.” Nolan and Bond would be a marriage made in heaven. He’s worked with several Bond contenders, too, including Robert Pattinson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
David Fincher
If Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is looking to reboot Bond in a big way, Fincher would be an ideal choice. He could bring a biting darkness and insidious danger to Bond the likes of which we haven’t yet seen. “Seven” serves as a prime example of what his brooding Bond movie may look like — more gruesome and adult than any Bond movie before. “Zodiac,” which stars Jake Gyllenhaal trying to suss out who the titular killer is, could also hint what his Bond could be like, while his most recent flick, “The Killer,” very much felt like a Bond movie in certain set pieces (could that film’s star, Michael Fassbender, be his Bond?).
Paul Greengrass
Greengrass’ resume is almost ideal for Bond. “The Bourne Supremacy” and “The Bourne Ultimatum” both show fans what Greengrass could bring to 007 — expertly navigated narrative, well-thought-out world-building, and a style of capturing on-screen fights and action set-pieces that later inspired other Bond movies. Greengrass would be a sure thing for a solid Bond outing.
Steve McQueen
McQueen would make one of the more unique and, perhaps, thoughtful Bond films on this list. The director’s early works “Shame” and “Hunger” showed what a character-focused director he is, which would be perfect for a new Bond movie, while “Widows” showed that he is more than capable of making a thrilling blockbuster.
Park Chan-wook
This South Korean director wowed Western audiences with his Florence Pugh-starring miniseries “The Little Drummer Girl.” That show, based on a John le Carré novel, had more than a hint of Bondness about it as it traversed the world and featured a plan to infiltrate a group plotting terrorism in Europe. Perfect Bond stuff. Meanwhile, Park’s early work — the iconic “Oldboy” — showed what a visceral, unrelenting director he is. He could bring a new style to Bond in a new era.
James Mangold
Mangold’s experiences as a filmmaker would make him a pair of safe hands for a Bond movie. The director has made character-focused dramas like “Kate & Leopold” and “Le Mans 66” while he has worked on major franchise movies, too. He made “The Wolverine” but it was his follow-up, “Logan,” that earned him such rave reviews. Perhaps Mangold could do a standalone “Logan”-esque movie about a slightly older Bond? He’s also set to make a new “Star Wars” movie and “Swamp Thing” for DC. A Bond movie would fit rather snugly in his CV.
Emerald Fennell
Fennell doesn’t have the experience or gravitas that her peers on this list have (not yet, anyway) but she is one of the most exciting up-and-coming directors. If Broccoli wants to go with a new filmmaker with their own unique style, Fennell could be a great choice. Her feature film debut, “Promising Young Woman,” was delicious and dark and won her an Oscar (for her script) — could Bond be next?
Denis Villeneuve
Villeneuve will also be a hugely popular choice for Bond director due to his visual style and his technical prowess. “Prisoners,” “Arrival,” “Blade Runner 2049,” and “Dune” all demonstrate how assured he is in creating impressive visual spectacle — that is exactly what Barbara will be looking for as she tries to ensure Bond remains a staple of cinema. Villeneuve creates cinema, while his deft handling of franchise movies “Blade Runner 20149” and “Dune” will instill further confidence in his selection.
Ryan Coogler
Coogler has already brought to life one iconic character in Marvel’s “Black Panther,” who’s to say he couldn’t do it again with Bond? With “Black Panther” and its sequels, Coogler created a cool, modern atmosphere while incorporating culture and legend into the mix while his action set-pieces were slick and sharp. Plus, the villains he brought to life in both “Black Panther” movies (Michael B. Jordan in the first and Tenoch Huerta in the second) were colorful, memorable, held great motivations, and were highlights of both films. Perfect for Bond.
Quentin Tarantino
This is something of a rogue choice, admittedly, and is also incredibly, incredibly, incredibly unlikely. But… just imagine how singular and unique a Tarantino Bond movie would be. Former 007 Pierce Brosnan previously revealed that Tarantino wanted to make a Bond movie with him back in the early 2000s but that never came to fruition. But Tarantino is clearly interested, so could that tempt him to make an 11th movie? If Broccoli took the gamble and threw caution to the wind, this would be the most hyped Bond movie of all time.
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