Denis Villeneuve‘s booking as the next James Bond director should come as no surprise to followers of the Dune director’s work — he has spoken about his desire to helm 007 for more than a decade.

Villeneuve has peppered many an interview with “come and get me” pleas to Barbara Broccoli. Now that the storied British producer has handed over the Bond franchise to Amazon MGM Studios, his calls have been answered by Amy Pascal and David Heyman.

As far back as a decade ago, when Villeneuve was on the promotion trail for Sicario, the Canadian said that action is art — and Bond is the very pinnacle of the genre.

“I was raised with James Bond. I love James Bond movies. I would love to do a James Bond movie one day. Action is very cinematic,” he told Comingsoon.net in 2015. “I’m not someone that loves dialogue – I am someone that loves movement. Action, if it’s well done, can be very poetic and meaningful.”

Two years later, Villeneuve admitted that he had held talks about directing Bond, but the timing was not right because he was ramping up work on Dune. “I had some contact and the thing is that I’m busy right,” he told The Playlist.

Then in 2021, Villeneuve told the Happy Sad Confused podcast, hosted by Josh Horowitz, that he remained enamored with the idea of being handed the keys to Bond’s Aston Martin, taking over from No Time to Die helmer Cary Joji Fukunaga.

“I would deeply love to one day make a James Bond movie,” he said. “It’s a character that I’ve been with — like everybody — since my childhood. I have massive affection for Bond. It would be a big challenge for people to try and reboot it.”

Villeneuve continued: “It’s true that it would be a dream to do 007. I don’t know if such a thing would happen, but it would be a privilege. At the end of the day, that would be pure cinematic joy.”

Although the stars have finally aligned, Villeneuve will not be working with Craig, whom he once described as the “ultimate James Bond.” Speculation about who will succeed Craig has been rumbling for years, with odds on Villeneuve’s Dune collaborator Timothée Chalamet falling after the Amazon announcement.

The hiring of Villeneuve was not entirely expected, given that he’ll be tied up for the foreseeable future with his third and final Dune film for Warner Bros and Legendary Entertainment. The threequel is shooting this summer and slated for release on December 16, 2026.

Commenting on his appointment, the Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival director said: “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. 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.”

Pascal and Heyman added: “Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy. It was always his dream to make this movie, and now it’s ours, too. We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker.”