Denis Villeneuve Wants To Take On This Iconic Movie Franchise

In the last decade, critically acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve has proven time and again that he can masterfully balance an intense thriller with a profound sense of depth. 2013's "Prisoners" looks at the destruction of faith through kidnapping, while "Arrival" examines loss, language, and a unique perception of time. The Canadian director also delivered a stunning action thriller in 2015's "Sicario," which revolves around the U.S. Government's attempts at taking down a Mexican drug cartel. The brutal, unflinching story got a follow-up, "Day of the Soldado" in 2018, although Villeneuve didn't return.

Villeneuve's flair for blending heart and action made him the perfect candidate for "Blade Runner 2049," a sequel to Ridley Scott's classic 1982 science-fiction thriller starring Harrison Ford. He worked with the legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins to expand the neon drenched dystopian future, and that partnership led to something truly special. The film was not a huge financial success, only pulling in $259 million against a $185 million budget, but it was arguably one of the best films of 2017, boasting an 88% critic rating and an 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

His next big venture is "Dune," adapted from Frank Herbert's iconic science-fiction novel, and the reviews so far have been incredibly popular. All this is to say that Denis Villeneuve knows how to bring big blockbuster adventures to theaters, and he recently revealed which franchise he'd love to take on next.

When speaking to Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, Denis Villeneuve revealed that he'd "deeply love one day to make a James Bond movie," while also adding, "It's a character that I've been with since my childhood. I have massive affection for Bond." If "Sicario," "Blade Runner 2049," and "Dune" are anything to go by, it seems like the director is perfectly suited to working on 007's next adventure.

Villeneuve also mentioned that it'd be difficult to follow up Daniel Craig's tenure as the legendary superspy: "It would be a big challenge to try and reboot it after what Daniel did. What Daniel Craig brought to Bond was so unique and strong and honestly unmatchable."

The director praised the actor's work in the role, explaining that he's excited to see what Cary Joji Fukunaga does with "No Time To Die." "I can't wait to see Cary's movie. I'm very excited," he said. "I'm one of the biggest Bond fans." Villeneuve also stressed that he doesn't know if he'd ever get the chance to direct a James Bond film, but it would mean a lot to him to do so, saying, "I don't know if such a thing would happen, but it would be a privilege. That would be pure cinematic joy."