Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
Martin Campbell has offered Denis Villeneuve some great advice when it comes to James Bond.
Campbell has directed two James Bond movies throughout his career thus far: 1995’s GoldenEye with Pierce Brosnan and 2006’s Casino Royale with Daniel Craig. Campbell’s filmography also includes 1998’s The Mask of Zorro, 2000’s Vertical Limit, 2005’s The Legend of Zorro, 2011’s Green Lantern, 2021’s The Protégé, 2025’s Cleaner, and more.
Villeneuve has now been tapped to direct a new James Bond movie for Amazon MGM Studios, as the company has obtained the creative rights to the franchise from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. A release date for the film has not been set and no casting has yet been announced, as Villeneuve is first completing Dune: Part Three before tackling 007.
What did Martin Campbell say to Denis Villeneuve about James Bond?
Speaking with Gold Derby for the 30th anniversary of GoldenEye, Campbell offered some advice to Villeneuve and the rest of the creative team working on the next James Bond movie.
“Don’t break what isn’t broken,” Campbell said. “It doesn’t need to be a reboot — it just needs to be a bloody good Bond film! If we released GoldenEye or Casino Royale again next week, they’d feel just as potent. So don’t f— with it, basically. There’s a lot of fertile ground for Bond, particularly the way the world is at the moment. I just hope that they don’t break what’s not broken!”
When asked if there’s any actor he’d like to see play Bond next, Campbell said, “There are no established standouts like Pierce. Pierce was a perfect Bond for his time. But Daniel wasn’t Daniel Craig when he got the part, and all credit to Barbara Broccoli for pushing him. So what you’re looking for is another Daniel Craig, someone who isn’t necessarily a star…Frankly, you don’t need a star. James Bond is the star and the film is the star. They just need to find a terrific actor who looks right for the part.”
