James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, who surprised the film world and 007 fans by stepping away from the franchise earlier this year, has endorsed the choice of Denis Villeneuve as director for the next instalment of the spy thriller.
“He’s a fantastic filmmaker, I’m thrilled he’s going to be doing it,” Broccoli said interview with UK film critic Mark Kermode in his podcast Kermode on Film.
It marked Broccoli’s first comment on Villeneuve’s signing as director for the next James Bond film for Amazon MGM Studios, since it was announced on June 25.
The new instalment will be the first James Bond movie without the direct involvement of the Broccoli family, following Barbara Broccoli and half-brother Michael G. Wilson’s unexpected decision to cede control of the franchise to Amazon MGM Studios in February.
Broccoli was on Kermode’s show to promote a production of the stage musical adaptation of Sing Street, which she is producing and has recently opened at the Lyric Hammersmith theater in London.
Pressed by Kermode on whether she was “removed” or would be “hands on” on the new James Bond film, Broccoli suggested she had moved on completely.
“You know, I did it for 44 years and I loved every minute of it, but I’m getting up there now and there’s a lot of things I want to do… like this beautiful musical,” she said. “I’m doing a lot of other things. I have other movies I want to make and other stage shows.”
Broccoli said stage was as important to her as film, revealing her twin passions stemmed from her producer father Albert R. Broccoli and actress mother Dana Natol.
“I always say I got my love for movies from my father and my love for the stage from my mother. I grew up with passion for both, and talent… that’s the thing that gets me excited, whether it’s film or stage talent, particularly when you meet young people and you see them and you see a potential.”
She revealed her excitement about the progress of the young cast in the London production of Sing Street, about a teenage boy who uses music to escape a difficult home life, and sets up a band to impress the girl of his dreams.
“All these kids that are in the show, when we first met them, they were all kind of a little tentative and shy and they’ve just blossomed. There’s some superstars on the stage at the Lyric Hammersmith.
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