Amazon MGM Studios has selected Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve to direct the 26th official James Bond movie, the first installment in the series since 2021’s “No Time to Die.” The announcement marks the inaugural Bond project under Amazon’s creative stewardship of the franchise, following a joint-venture deal earlier this year with longtime rights holders Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Villeneuve will also serve as executive producer alongside Tanya Lapointe, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing. No release date or casting decisions have been disclosed, and the search for a successor to Daniel Craig—who concluded his five-film run as 007—remains open. The four-time Oscar nominee is coming off the box-office success of “Dune: Part Two,” which generated more than $700 million worldwide. His appointment gives Amazon a high-profile director as it seeks to expand a franchise that has grossed in excess of $7 billion over six decades. Amazon acquired MGM, including 50 percent of Bond rights, for roughly $8.45 billion in 2022.