Doug Liman Wants to Direct a James Bond Film

Doug Liman has revealed his desire to make a James Bond movie. Spy movies are one of the cornerstones of the action genre; they've been around since the filmmaking industry's inception, yet it wasn't until after the very first Bond film -- Terence Young's Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as the eponymous MI6 agent -- released in 1962 that Hollywood saw an uptick in spy films and TV shows, such as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Mission: Impossible, among countless others.

It has been more than 50 years since that first movie hit theaters, and audiences have seen movies like The Hunt for Red October and Kingsman: The Secret Service, as well as TV shows such as Get Smart and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, all join the fold. However, not everything closely relates to Bond. And although there have been plenty of spy flicks over the years, everyone keeps coming back to the Bond franchise, the one that popularized the genre in the first place. That notion doesn't just apply to moviegoers, either; filmmakers also want to be part of the iconic series -- and that includes Doug Liman.

In an interview with Den of Geek, Liman expressed his undying desire to direct James Bond, and he explained how helming The Bourne Identity in 2001 was his way of making a "poor man's spy movie."

"You know, that was the most surreal thing. I always wanted to make a James Bond movie my whole life. I didn't grow up like Quentin Tarantino, watching esoteric art films at the video store. I'd go to the multiplex and see big, mainstream movies, and I'd go, 'I want to make one of those one day.' I always wanted to make a James Bond film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made Swingers - they were never going to hire me for a James Bond film off Swingers.

"I felt so insecure while I was making The Bourne Identity that I was making a poor man's spy movie. There was someone on the set who had the Mission: Impossible ring tone on his phone, and every time his phone rang it drove me nuts because I was afraid my movie was never going to be as good as Mission: Impossible. It was never going to be as good as James Bond. So it was really surreal afterwards to go and see the next James Bond film, and be like, 'Oh, I did make a James Bond film, because now the James Bond film looks like The Bourne Identity.' So given the emotional insecurity I bring to my craft, that was really surreal. I would still love to direct a James Bond film, but I'm not sure if I have or haven't."

Liman's point about the James Bond franchise being helmed only by British directors isn't far off. So far, the vast majority of directors have been British with only two being from New Zealand (Martin Campbell and Lee Tamahori) and one from Germany (Marc Forster). If he were to helm the next Bond film, for instance, then he would become the first American filmmaker ever to do so. But, considering that The Bourne Identity has been listed among the various modern blockbuster movies to have had an impact on the Bond franchise, Liman would be the perfect choice to direct Bond 25.

At the moment, EON Productions is reportedly looking at Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Blade Runner: 2049), David MacKenzie (Hell or High Water), and Yann Demange ('71) to helm Bond 25, which has been scheduled to release in November 2019. If Liman plays his cards right, perhaps he'll find himself directing the highly anticipated James Bond sequel.