Who will direct the next Bond film? David Michôd and Kelly Marcel are reportedly in contention, as well as All Quiet On The Western Front’s Edward Berger.
Yesterday came a report that Edward Berger, director of the horrors-of-war epic All Quiet On The Western Front, is among the names being considered for the next James Bond film.
To that list we can now reportedly add Kelly Marcel (pictured), who’s currently putting the finishing touches to this autumn’s Venom: The Last Dance, and David Michod, who broke through in 2010 with his acclaimed crime drama, Animal Kingdom.
This latest report comes from Jeff Sneider, who seconds World of Reel’s earlier story that Berger is currently being considered by EON and producer Barbara Broccoli.
Those are three markedly different filmmakers with their own markedly different sensibilities. The UK’s Kelly Marcel is better known for her work as a writer (not to mention acting – she was in TV’s The Bill on five separate occasions), having written the screenplays for Saving Mr Banks, Fifty Shades Of Grey and the first two Venom movies. This year’s Venom: The Last Dance marks her debut as a director, and whether she gets the Bond gig could depend on how that film’s received.
Having a female director would be a first for the Bond franchise, though, and given that the next 007 film is likely to be a reboot following the departure of Daniel Craig, a fresh perspective could be just what the series needs.
Read more: James Bond | What’s taking so long to make the modern 007 movies?
Australian filmmaker David Michôd, meanwhile, is a more seasoned director whose work has spanned genres. Following the aforementioned Animal Kingdom, he’s explored post-apocalyptic western territory (2014’s The Rover), military satire (2017’s War Machine), historical epic (2019’s The King) and has a stoner comedy, Wizards!, coming up next.
These are all in addition to other names previously bandied about, including Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, Danny Boyle and Matthew Vaughn. We’d humbly suggest that Berger, Marcel or Michôd are more likely to get the gig – assuming the reports are accurate.
It’s already three years since the release of Craig’s swansong as Bond, No Time To Die, and EON has yet to announce who will replace him. As a result, it’s a wonder where the franchise will go next: back towards the lighter, quippier tone of the Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan eras, or a continuation of the Craig era’s (relative) seriousness and grit.
More on Bond as we get it.
