Earlier this month, Puck was the first outlet to reveal the shortlist of directors being considered for the next James Bond film.
Now, following the official announcement that Denis Villeneuve (Dune, Sicario) has been tapped to direct, the site has shared additional details about the arrangement.
According to Puck, which is operated by former Hollywood Reporter journalist Matt Belloni, Villeneuve will not receive final cut privileges on the film and he's only committed to directing a single installment, giving him the freedom to step away from the franchise if the experience doesn’t meet his expectations.
This decision aligns with long-standing tradition.
No Bond director has ever been granted final cut authority while the franchise remained under the creative oversight of the Broccoli family. That policy appears to remain intact under Amazon MGM, even after the studio paid Barbara Broccoli over $1 billion for exclusive creative control of the series.
Currently, Amazon MGM is in the process of hiring a screenwriter. Casting for the new James Bond, replacing Daniel Craig’s version of the character, will begin once the script is finalized.
Villeneuve is expected to wrap production on his third Dune installment before turning his attention to the Bond project. Once available, he’s likely to contribute his own revisions to the screenplay before the film heads into production.
Producers Amy Pascal (Ghostbusters, Marvel's Spider-Man trilogy) and David Heyman (Harry Potter, Barbie) are currently leading the Bond remake for Amazon MGM and they were the ones who decided to hire Villeneuve over the likes of Edward Berger (Conclave), Edgar Wright (Baby Driver), Jonathan Nolan (Fallout), and Paul King (Paddington).
They'll also hire the writer and select the actor to play Bond.
In additional reporting from Variety, it's been revealed that the three actors on the shortlist to play Bond are Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson.
The outlet also reports that both Amazon and the Bond producers are specifically seeking an actor under the age of 30 to lead the first installment of what they hope will become a long-running franchise.
As a result, names that have frequently circulated in fan discussions, such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Henry Cavill, Aaron Pierre, and Idris Elba, are reportedly not in contention for the role.
Deadline's best film reporter, Justin Kroll stated that Villeneuve likely won't have final say over who will be cast.
Additionally, it seems Christopher Nolan and Alfonso Cuarón were both sought before Villeneuve, but both directors turned it down. For Nolan, they were even willing to give him final cut but The Dark Knight helmer opted for The Odyssey instead. Likewise, Cuarón chose another project, Jane, starring Charlize Theron.
On selecting Villeneuve, Pascal and Heyman shared that Denis Villeneuve has been passionate about James Bond films since childhood. They expressed that creating this movie has become their dream as well and said they feel fortunate to be working with such an exceptional filmmaker.
One of the most concerning revelations from Puck’s report is that Denis Villeneuve allegedly does not have final cut on the film. Situations like this can sometimes spark creative tension, potentially leading to significant conflicts between directors and producers over the film’s vision and execution.
Past instances where this occurred include Ridley Scott and Blade Runner's original 1982 release, David Fincher on 1992's Alien 3, Josh Trank on 2015's disastrous Fantastic Four reboot, and David Ayer on 2016's Suicide Squad.
Dune: Part Three is expected to begin filming later this summer, for an anticipated theatrical release on December 18, 2026. That means Villeneuve likely won’t begin working on the Bond film until sometime in early-2027, with production unlikely to start until later in the year.