Christopher Nolan Addresses James Bond Rumors

Christopher Nolan addressed another round of those James Bond rumors this week. The director sat down with the Associated Press to hype the home release of Oppenheimer. In his comments, he sadly told them that he wasn't going to direct 007's next outing. This all comes as the James Bond franchise continues to develop whatever's next. MGM has not cast the next actor to step into the role that Daniel Craig had occupied for so many years. Whoever that actor is, they won't be taking directions from Nolan when the project gets shooting. So, still no clarity on who the eventual filmmaker will be. But, the Oppenheimer helmer had to clear the air before things got out of hand.

"No, sadly no," Nolan told the outlet. "No truth to those rumors, but I'm very thrilled the strike is over and we can all get back to work." In the past, Nolan has not shied away from talking about how much of an undertaking these big franchise films can be. His recent work would suggest that it would take a lot to get him back into that arena. But, you can never say never!

Has Nolan Ever Wanted To Direct James Bond?

This hasn't been the first time that these James Bond rumors have reared their heads. In an appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy, Sad, Confused podcast this summer, Nolan got asked about the constant murmurings. To his credit, the director was very polite about the prospect of being asked to do a 007 movie. However, the James Bond franchise is in a state of recalibration after No Time To Die. Daniel Craig is off to solve murder mysteries for the time being. And that leaves some other actor to step into that tuxedo and another director to hop behind the lens.

 "Well, not diplomatic, I would say honest about it. I love those movies. The influence of those movies on my filmography is embarrassingly apparent. You know? So there's no attempt to shy away from that. I love the films," the director admitted. "It would be an amazing privilege to do one. When you take on a character like that, you're taking on a set of constraints. You have to have the right attitude towards that. It has to be the right moment in your creative life where you can express what you want to express and burrow into something within the appropriate constraints. You don't ever want to take on something like that and do it wrong."

How Far Along Is The New James Bond?

Not too long ago, the creative team in charge of James Bond sat down to talk about where they are in development. Producer Barbara Broccoli told The Guardian that they've got a ways to go. There is a reinvention of the concept taking place. Now, it will still be familiar. These are still spy/action movies with a focus on the titular 007. But, over the course of the last few years, it's become clear that something different is going to have to happen after Craig's tenure.

Broccoli shared, "I go back to GoldenEye when everyone was saying 'the cold war is over, the wall is over, Bond is dead, no need for Bond, the whole world's at peace and now there's no villains' – and boy was that wrong!"

"Daniel gave us the ability to mine the emotional life of the character … and also the world was ready for it," she continued in the piece. "I think these movies reflect the time they are in, and there's a big, big road ahead reinventing it for the next chapter and we haven't even begun with that."

Who do you think will direct the next James Bond? Let us know down in the comments!