4-Time Oscar Winner Could Be Next Bond Director
When it comes to the future of James Bond, fans have a lot more questions than answers.
While we know that there will be another Bond film, the two most pressing queries at the moment are: Who will be the next actor to step into the role of the globe-trotting super-spy, and who will direct the film? As far as that latter question goes, we may be getting closer to an answer.
Related: Could Marvel's Biggest Directors Could Take on the Next James Bond?
While Christopher Nolan’s name has been thrown around a lot, and with good reason, Puck’s Matt Belloni claims in the latest episode of The Town podcast that Alfonso Cuarón might be closing in on the job.
“It’s an informed, speculative pick,” admitted Belloni of his Bond 26 prediction. While he seemingly agrees that a Nolanized Bond movie would be an amazing thing to see, he doesn’t think Amazon has the patience for that to happen right now.
“I think the fact that [Nolan’s] tied up for the next year and a half on The Odyssey, I just don't think Amazon wants to wait that long. I think Jeff Bezos says, ‘Give me my Bond movie now,’ and they just cannot wait,” he opined.
Giving even more credence to the idea of Cuarón behind the camera is the fact that producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are reportedly being courted to take over the franchise. Cuarón and Heyman go back a long way.
“They go back to Gravity,” said Belloni. “They go back 21, 22 years to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. They’ve worked together a long time. They/re friendly. I have heard that there are some talks, that there is a take, and that they are serious.”
Though Belloni made it clear that he’s not hearing that it’s as close to a done deal as being in negotiations for Cuarón to step behind the camera, the Hollywood insider is convinced it could be a great fit.
By all accounts, Amazon is ready to run with the next Bond film, which it hopes to have ready for release by late 2027.
Though Cuarón wrote and directed all seven episodes of the recent Apple TV+ series Disclaimer, starring Cate Blanchett, he has not made a feature film since 2018’s semi-autobiographical Roma, which earned the filmmaker three Oscars, including Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, Best Director, and Best Cinematography (yes, he shot the film himself).
Cuarón and Bond would also not be an unprecedented duo. In December 2024, the Gravity director shared a story about how he was approached about directing a Bond film “ages ago.” He was ready to sign on and get started, then learned that another team would be responsible for directing the main action scenes. “It kind of felt very weird,” he said.
What really sealed the deal on Cuarón declining the opportunity was having dinner with Joel Coen. When he told the No Country for Old Men director about his mixed feelings about the project, and asked whether he would ever direct a Bond movie, Coen responded: “It probably falls into the category of a film I want to watch but not do.” Which is a distinction Cuarón liked, and agreed with at the time. But, by all accounts, it sounds like his opinion on the matter may have changed.