Christopher Nolan Makes It Clear: He Won’t Direct ‘James Bond 25’

The second most popular thing everyone likes to speculate about besides who will play James Bond after Daniel Craig, is who will direct the (presumably) final movie featuring Daniel Craig as 007. “James Bond 25” is currently without a title, but it does have a 2019 release date, and the clock is ticking to find someone to go behind the camera. Lots of names have been thrown around — Yann Demange, Denis Villenueve and David MacKenzie were all reported to be frontrunners — not to mention early rumored candidate “Sherlock” helmer Paul McGuigan. However, while Christopher Nolan has long expressed a wish to direct a Bond flick, it won’t be this one.

Rolling by BBC Radio 4’s “Desert Island Discs” the “Dunkirk” director made it absolutely clear that there’s zero chance he’ll be at the helm of the next movie with 007. “I won’t be the man. No, categorically. I think every time they hire a new director I’m rumoured to be doing it,” Nolan said.

Indeed, the filmmaker’s open admiration for the franchise has forever spurred rumors he’s the next hire. And while Nolan has entertained talks with the producers, they’ve never panned out.

“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. And they’re getting along very well,” Nolan said last July.

So maybe somewhere down the road, but certainly not anytime soon. And I would imagine that Nolan would want the creative space to do whatever he wants to the character, and not be tied to certain storylines or franchise trademarks.

“James Bond 25” opens on November 8, 2019. [Digital Spy via ScreenRant]