Whenever the James Bond movies have gone out looking for a new director in the last few years, Christopher Nolan's name has frequently popped up, and as we fast approach the supposed start date for Bond 26, a new lead and a new helmer are now both being sought after. This means that it’s once again that time when Nolan is put into the proverbial hat to run the ship – and it seems that the filmmaker is legitimately interested in the job.
The combination of interest and skill has kept the acclaimed director in consideration for the prestigious blockbuster post, so let’s take a look at what Nolan has said about directing a Bond movie, and dig into why his career so far has only made it more vital that he grab this potential job offer for Bond 26.
What Christopher Nolan Has Said About Directing A James Bond Movie
This discussion wasn’t merely started by my being a fan of both Christopher Nolan's filmography and the James Bond legacy. Nor is this just parroting his name from past occasions where the Dark Knight director was tipped as a choice for the gig. Rather, Nolan was asked on a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast if he was still interested in taking such a post.
Reiterating his interest in becoming a 007 director, the writer/director didn’t surprise the world in affirming he'd be up to the task. Among citing his fandom for the series, Oppenheimer’s director laid out what he felt were the ideal conditions to make this sort of cinematic dream a reality:
It has to be the right moment in your creative life where you can express what you want to express and really burrow into something within the appropriate constraints, because you would never want to take on something like that and do it wrong. … You’d have to be needed, if you know what I mean? It has to need reinvention; it has to need you.
When you outperform against expectations with a three-hour, R-rated historical biopic, it kind of feels like “the right moment” is upon us. On top of that, Christopher Nolan’s filmography, as well as his attitude toward this potential gig, seems to intersect rather perfectly with where the James Bond franchise currently stands.
Christopher Nolan Already Knows How To Make A James Bond Movie
Two very specific Christopher Nolan movies come to mind when you put this creative talent’s name in the same sentence as James Bond: Inception and Tenet. That first example isn’t a stretch at all, as back when the Leonardo DiCaprio-led ensemble thriller was doing its press rounds, Nolan personally made comparisons.
As he spoke with Empire (via IndieWire) back in the day, the filmmaker said,
This is absolutely my Bond film. I’ve been plundering ruthlessly from the Bond movies in everything I’ve done, forever. They’re a huge influence on me.
It also helps that Christopher Nolan’s favorite 007 adventure is the cult Bond classic On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Not only does the man know how to make this sort of movie, he recognizes the pinnacle of the franchise’s potential. Those reflexes were only further proven to be sharpened when he showed off that he could improve some old fashioned James Bond tricks with Tenet.
The writer/director may not be actively lobbying for Bond 26, but he’s arguably already auditioned twice. Both times proved to be amazing showcases for stunning action, mind-blowing spectacle, and good old fashioned hype. Finally landing Christopher Nolan in the director’s chair for the next era of Commander Bond would be akin to finally casting Henry Cavill in the role he’s long been tipped to play.
“Reinvention” Is Already The Keyword For Bond 26
Coincidentally, Christopher Nolan has used an important keyword that James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has also invoked when it comes to Bond 26. It appears that both parties have aligned on the idea of “reinvention” being a driving force in this saga’s machinery. Since Broccoli is already promising “reinvention” on Bond 26, having Nolan on board only feels even more appropriate for the next chapter of the franchise.
Based on the interview that Mr. Nolan gave to Happy Sad Confused, it sounds like he’d want to be the one to choose the next face of the 007 movies. Redefining the next chapter of Ian Fleming’s literary super spy with a Nolan-constructed foundation is something that sounds like a total dream, and that sounds like a great base for the long haul sort of run EON Productions wants to engage in with the next Bond.
Christopher Nolan's Views On James Bond Match Those Of Martin Campbell
Further extending the theme of reinvention, Christopher Nolan’s thoughts about taking the reins for Bond 26 mirror the thoughts of another director who’s helped reboot this legacy franchise twice over. That filmmaker, of course, is none other than Goldeneye and Casino Royale helmer Martin Campbell: the man who turned down every 007 directing post in-between those two films, Campbell not wanting to fall into a formulaic trap.
In that same vein, Christopher Nolan isn’t merely looking to be a director for hire with whatever his hypothetical James Bond film is looking to accomplish. One would even think that if he were to be offered Bond 26, Nolan would want to at least take a crack at writing the story himself, or potentially with the traditional writing team of Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.
Between his writing and directing prowess, a Christopher Nolan-led James Bond project could spice things up in a way fans have been hoping for over quite some time. But yet again, for Memento's mastermind to accept, it'd have to be on his terms.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Excellent Bond 26 Odds Would Give Christopher Nolan A Huge Advantage
Recent James Bond casting rumors have put one candidate at the head of the pack for some time: Money Train and Kraven the Hunter’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson. There are plenty of reasons why Johnson’s 007 casting could be brilliant, as he’s shown that he’s got the chops to handle all the facets the role requires. If he were to land the role in Bond 26, and his Tenet director were to snag the director’s chair for that same film, the advantages would be astounding.
Since Nolan and Johnson have already worked together, reuniting on this film would put things on the right path. Knowing each other’s styles and disciplines, their previous collaboration would allow this dream team to really dig into Bond 26’s nuances from the word go. If Aaron Taylor-Johnson were to win the role, he would be ahead of the game as far as crucial groundwork that could help grease the wheels to a successful relaunch.
That’s not to say that pairing Christopher Nolan with the aforementioned Henry Cavill would be a bad idea. Nolan’s producing gig on Man of Steel undoubtedly gave him some sort of impression as to what the former Superman could do, and it would be another great team up to kick off Commander Bond’s big return. With Oppenheimer’s opening weekend box office impressing far and wide, now feels as good of a time as any to offer a huge 007 fan the keys to reinvent the tuxedoed operative.
At the moment, there’s no official word on what’s going on with the search for Bond 26 creatives, which means Bond fans will yet again need to be patient, as the next adventure is supposedly slated to start production in early 2024, and there’s still plenty of time for such decisions to be made.
That said, the conditions feel right for Christopher Nolan and EON Productions to join forces and blow the world away with the next James Bond entry. Such notions are what have kept the series fresh, and with any luck, Bond 26 could become the next Casino Royale: redefining 007 to almost universal acclaim and paving a path for an exciting future.
