Here’s The Wrap speaking to a handful of top producers about Amazon’s recent acquisition of James Bond. The overall consensus, and it’s a strong one, is that Amazon absolutely needs to hire Christopher Nolan for the future of Bond to be taken seriously.
Here’s a quote taken from The Wrap’s report, coming from franchise producer who believes the only possible path for credibility is hiring a top director like Nolan.
If Amazon wants to preserve the legacy, they should do everything possible to get Chris Nolan and wait for him as long as needed
Another source, described as a “top franchise producer,” believes that Amazon has probably already contacted Nolan since “there is strong mutual desire to make it happen.”
Nolan himself has long suggested he’d be down to direct a Bond film.
“The influence of those movies in my filmography is embarrassingly apparent,” Nolan told the Happy Sad Confused podcast in July 2023. “And so there’s no attempt to shy away from that. I love the films. You know, it would be an amazing privilege to do one. You wouldn’t want to take on a film not fully committed to what you bring to the table creatively. So as a writer, casting, everything, it’s a full package.”
A few years ago, Nolan was talking to former Bond head Barbara Broccoli about directing a franchise instalment. Nolan wanted to helm two Bond films, and set them both in the ‘60s. However, the main issue was the amount of creative control Nolan would need if he were to make the film.
At the time, Amazon/MGM was also pushing hard for Nolan to direct, but, alas, talks eventually failed. Broccoli, known as a real nitpicker when it comes to micromanaging the franchise, refused to give Nolan the freedom needed to make the film, much like what happened when Danny Boyle decided to exit his own Bond movie over “creative differences.”
I’d be shocked if Amazon/MGM don’t reach out to Nolan. Hell, I’d be surprised if they haven’t reached out already. If they’re serious about the future of the franchise, they’ll also grant him final cut. What this franchise needs is credibility, and with Nolan at the helm, they would be getting just that.
While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.