Christopher Nolan Reportedly Tried to Make a James Bond Movie

Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan was reportedly interested in helming a James Bond movie, but he was turned down by former franchise producer Barbara Broccoli. A report in Variety about Amazon assuming full creative control of the property includes the anecdote about Nolan’s attempt to make a 007 film. After his sci-fi thriller Tenet debuted, he “expressed interest” in directing a Bond installment. However, he moved on because Broccoli “made clear that no director would have final cut” as long as she was overseeing the franchise. Nolan is a filmmaker who gets final cut privileges on his projects.

This bit is included in a section of the report that insinuates that Broccoli “was too cautious and exerted outsize control” in her position. After Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond ended with 2021’s No Time to Die, development on Bond 26 stalled as Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson tried to plot a course for the franchise’s future. Slow movement on the next Bond film frustrated Amazon, which paid $8.5 billion to acquire MGM.

Earlier this month, Broccoli, Wilson, Amazon, and MGM announced a joint venture to share ownership rights of the James Bond franchise. Under the terms of the agreement, Amazon will have final say on creative decisions; previously, that power fell to Broccoli and Wilson. In the days since this development, former Bond actors Craig and Timothy Dalton have shared their thoughts on the news.

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Following Tenet, Nolan, of course, directed the World War II epic Oppenheimer, which won Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars (among other accolades). The filmmaker is currently in production on his next project, an adaptation of The Odyssey. That movie, which boasts a star-studded ensemble cast, is scheduled to hit theaters next summer.

Nolan’s filmmaking style seemingly would have been a strong fit with Craig’s more grounded take on Bond. However, it sounds like Nolan wouldn’t have worked with the actor if his Bond film moved forward. By the time Tenet came out, No Time to Die was already completed, enduring numerous delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means Nolan would have introduced the world to the next James Bond, which would have been a fascinating prospect. He obviously found a great deal of success rebooting Batman for a modern audience, and his Bond likely would have delivered similar results. Nolan has always had a keen eye for casting, so his choice for 007 would probably have been a compelling and entertaining pick. Plus, Nolan has not hidden his love for the Bond franchise; he understands what makes those films work as well as they do.

Under the leadership of the Broccoli family, the James Bond franchise became one of cinema’s most enduring properties, so their stance on final cuts is justified. However, a reasonable argument can be made that Nolan should have been an exception. His track record speaks for itself, as he is one of the most successful filmmakers of his era both critically and commercially. It will be interesting to see if Nolan revisits his Bond pitch after work on The Odyssey is done. Whether he helms a 007 mission now could depend on Amazon’s plans for the franchise and how they align with Nolan’s vision. Perhaps tellingly, Nolan hasn’t dabbled too much in franchise fare since the Dark Knight trilogy ended, so he could be content to remain in his own sandboxes.