Hot on the heels of an explosive opening weekend for his latest movie Oppenheimer, director Christopher Nolan teased a potential new project that fans have been hoping for. The British filmmaker has always had his name mentioned in discussions and debates about who should helm the next James Bond movie. With MovieWeb reporting that Sam Mendes is unlikely to direct the next movie in the franchise, the world of 007 looks set to embrace a new filmmaker, and Christopher Nolan has made no secret about his desire to make a Bond movie.
In a recent interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Nolan stated about a potential Bond movie “It would be an amazing privilege to make one” though he made it very clear that there had been no contact from any studio about the possibility. Nolan went on to say that “the influence of those movies on my filmography is embarrassingly apparent” as he joked about his love of the franchise. Nolan’s movies always make use of epic action sequences and interesting hi-tech gadgets, two things that define the 007 movies.
Ever since Nolan moved from small-budget thrillers like Memento to large-scale action movies like Interstellar and Tenet, there has always been talk of him taking on Bond. Back in 2017, Variety reported that Nolan said “I’ve spoken to the producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson over the years. I deeply love the character, and I’m always excited to see what they do with it. Maybe one day that would work out. You’d have to be needed if you know what I mean. It has to need reinvention; it has to need you.” A lot has changed since 2017 and with the most recent Bond movie saying goodbye to Daniel Craig in the role, the franchise could use a shot in the arm. Daniel Craig’s turn as Bond spanned 15 years and 5 movies in one of the great portrayals of the character. With a new actor set to take on the iconic role, a new filmmaker could well follow.
What would a Nolan Bond movie look like?
Christopher Nolan is no stranger to working within the limitations of a big franchise. His work on The Dark Knight trilogy shows his ability to make the source material his own while also keeping it authentic and exciting. But for a good view into a Nolan Bond look no further than the two thriller movies Tenet and Inception. Both times, the filmmaker has put together incredible set pieces with huge action sequences and dashing leading men. The hallway fight in Inception is considered one of the most iconic shots in action movie history while the car chase in Tenet was a mind-boggling example of what the director is capable of. Would Nolan be allowed to bring his signature mystery to the franchise and put Bond in a sci-fi setting that asks big philosophical questions? Could we be set for a 007 outing shot entirely on IMAX? Nolan recently broke IMAX records with the release of Oppenheimer and has been clear that he loves the format. Here’s hoping that Christopher Nolan’s Bond doesn’t go the same way as the Danny Boyle Bond.
Who else could direct Bond 26?
If somehow legendary producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson decide against Nolan, they have their options wide open. Martin Campbell, who directed Casino Royale and GoldenEye has made it clear that he would definitely consider returning. Campbell is a safe pair of hands who has ushered in two new Bonds in Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. It has also been rumored that director Cary Joji Fukunaga could return to the franchise after impressing with his spectacular No Time To Die.