Christopher Nolan May Want To Direct A Period James Bond Film
Christopher Nolan has a well deserved reputation as one of the entertainment industry’s best directors.
His latest release, “Oppenheimer,” was a massive box office hit, despite being a three plus hour biopic. And being a British-American filmmaker, he’s an obvious choice to direct the upcoming, unannounced James Bond release in a post-Daniel Craig universe.
And based on some new reports, Nolan has some fascinating ideas of which direction to take the series. If the Bond producers agree to it, that is.
World of Reel reported that Nolan, EON Productions and MGM Studios owner Amazon have engaged in discussions about the 53-year-old potentially directing two Bond films. That’s not too surprising, considering Nolan’s previously expressed interest in contributing to one of the industry’s longest running series.
But what’s fascinating about the rumor is that Nolan reportedly wants to set the films in the 1950’s. That would put them squarely in the time period when the books were written by author Ian Fleming.
How cool would that be?
PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 11: Christopher Nolan attends the "Oppenheimer" premiere at Cinema Le Grand Rex on July 11, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Christopher Nolan’s Involvement Not Guaranteed
At this point, the report is still just a rumor, with no confirmation from Bond production company EON or other media sources.
But Nolan’s mastery of detail, period accuracy and ground breaking filmmaking techniques have already paid off in “Dunkirk” and “Oppenheimer.”
Bringing those abilities to the James Bond franchise with films set in the 1950’s sounds, frankly, amazing. Even though we may struggle to hear what whoever they choose to replace Craig says.
Wheel of Reel also reported that EON and Amazon want to continue the franchise in the modern era, which could jeopardize the potential partnership. But with Nolan one of the few filmmakers that can pack audiences into movie theaters, Amazon/MGM would be wise to make every possible attempt to bring Nolan on board.
“No Time To Die,” the last Craig release, came out in 2021, and given lengthy production timeframes, time is of the essence to get future Bond plans finalized.
Christopher Nolan could make any film he wants; few others have his proverbial blank check in the industry. Hopefully this is one rumor that comes to fruition; a non-woke, period James Bond sounds like something everyone would enjoy.