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The new James Bond director could be a match made in home cinema heaven

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Might this be a test disc in the making?

James Bond No time to die
(Image credit: Jame Bond No time to die/ Universal pictures)

Big news for James Bond fans has broken – Denis Villeneuve is set to direct the next instalment in the 007 franchise.

This announcement has got us bubbling with excitement, and not just because it means we can look forward to the agent’s story continuing for another instalment. After all, it did seem like the ending for No Time To Die was pretty final.

But there is another reason we can’t wait to see the as-yet unnamed film.

When reviewing TV and AV kit, Villeneuve’s back catalogue has provided plenty of excellent test discs.

Dune: Part Two and Bladerunner 2049, for example, are both regulars in our test room due to their stunning pictures and emotive soundtracks.

In fact, certain members of our review team have watched the opening sequence of Bladerunner 2049 more times than they would feel comfortable sharing.

Plenty of films in the Bond franchise are also much used in our test rooms, packed as they are with dynamic action scenes that will challenge even the very best TVs and projectors.

From older releases such as Casino Royale, all the way up to some of the most recent instalments, such as Spectre and Skyfall, you can always rely on a Bond Blu-ray.

So, surely the combination of Villeneuve’s unique direction and the action-packed James Bond franchise will be the ideal test disc? We think so – but it might be a while until we find out for sure.

Amazon MGM Studios is keeping schtum on who the next Bond will be, let alone when the film will be released.

Villeneuve told Amazon that he is a “die-hard Bond fan” and described the character as “sacred territory", which bodes well for 007 traditionalists.

“I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come,” he added.

We look forward to a new Bond film, and adding a new test disc to our library...

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Robyn Quick
Robyn Quick

Robyn Quick is a Staff Writer for What Hi Fi?. After graduating from Cardiff University with a postgraduate degree in magazine journalism, they have worked for a variety of film and culture publications. In their spare time, Robyn can be found playing board games too competitively, going on cinema trips and learning muay thai.

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