Photo by Julio Hardy – © 2013 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Alfonso Cuarón is no longer being considered to direct the twenty-sixth James Bond film—the first for Amazon MGM Studios—according to World of Reel and other sources. The Mexican director had previously turned down another chance to direct a 007 movie, saying that he would rather “watch and not do.”
Most recently, Cuarón had directed Roma, the 2018 dramatic film that earned three Academy Awards, including one for Best Director. In 2024, he created, wrote, and directed Disclaimer, a limited series for Apple TV+.
Speculation about who would direct the new Bond film has been rampant since February, when creative control of the franchise was turned over to Amazon MGM in a billion-dollar deal with long-standing producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. The duo will still remain co-owners, however.
When the deal was sealed, Amazon tapped Amy Pascal and David Heyman to produce the upcoming film. Rumors about Cuarón’s involvement came when he was reported to have told a master class earlier this year: “There is indeed this project under discussion, and I have the desire – if it happens – to revisit this story in my own way.”
Pascal comes to the table with a track record working on Bond movies for Sony, including Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre. For his part, Heyman produced every Harry Potter movie, including Prison of Azkaban, which was directed by.Cuarón. Heyman is also listed as the producer of Gravity, which earned an Oscar for Cuarón.
Alfonso Cuarón’s first features produced in the United States were adaptations of the literary classics A Little Princess and Great Expectations. His breakthrough film was Y tu mamá también, which he directed in 2001, sharing an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay with his brother and co-writer, Carlos.
Amazon MGM has not indicated when a director—or a leading actor—might be chosen for the new Bond film.