Jordan Firstman Has a Cheeky Pitch for Denis Villeneuve’s James Bond Movie
The race to find the next 007 has Hollywood buzzing, and not everyone is taking the search entirely seriously. Denis Villeneuve, who is set to direct the next James Bond film for Amazon MGM Studios, was honored at LACMA’s Art+Film Gala in Los Angeles on November 7. Naturally, the red carpet conversation kept drifting back to Bond.
Villeneuve even played along onstage. He told the crowd that, with Amazon’s blessing, he would reveal the next James Bond that night, causing an audible stir, then paused dramatically as he began to name the actor. Earlier on the carpet, he had told Variety he was having a great time screening actors for the role.
Among the guests weighing in was ‘Club Kid’ filmmaker Jordan Firstman, who came with a pitch of his own. “I want to be a Bond gay. Like, instead of the Bond girls, I think they should make them gay guys,” Firstman told Variety on the red carpet.
The joke came alongside sincere praise. Firstman said what he admires most about Villeneuve as a director is his restraint, explaining that Villeneuve knows when to hold back and when to go for it. He added, with a wink, that it’s what he tells all his students. Firstman wasn’t the only guest hunting for Bond intel. Comedian Benito Skinner joked that he was on a mission to figure out who Villeneuve had chosen to play the new 007.
The search is very real, and it’s nearing its final stage. Deadline reported in October that final screen tests were about to take place, with casting director Nina Gold, producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman and Villeneuve narrowing down the list. Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor have been reported among the finalists, though no actor has been officially announced.
Jordan Firstman says he wants to be a "Bond gay" in Denis Villeneuve’s forthcoming film" "I want to be a Bond gay. Like, instead of the Bond girls, I think they should make them gay guys.” https://t.co/pXaeLhFPh7 https://t.co/LrIe25ZCw0
— Variety (@Variety) November 9, 2026
The new film is expected to start fresh rather than continue from ‘No Time to Die’. Steven Knight has finished a first draft of the screenplay, and filming is expected to begin in 2027. Firstman’s Bond pitch fits his playful public persona. He first rose to prominence in 2020 with his viral Instagram Live sketches, known as ‘Impressions’, during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has since appeared in projects including ‘Ms. Marvel’, ‘Rotting in the Sun’ and HBO’s ‘I Love LA’.
Denis Villeneuve says he’s having a "great time" screening actors for the upcoming James Bond movie. 📍 LACMA Art+Film Gala https://t.co/FgNYHowBb6
— Variety (@Variety) November 8, 2026
This year has been a breakout one for him behind the camera. ‘Club Kid’, his feature directorial debut, premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where it reportedly received a 7-minute standing ovation. Firstman wrote, directed, and stars in the film, which follows a nightclub promoter whose life changes when he discovers he has a son.
Official trailer for ‘CLUB KID’ from writer-director-star Jordan Firstman. https://t.co/sEVF7bHoJv
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 19, 2026
The film also features Cara Delevingne and Diego Calva. It has already earned Firstman a Breakthrough Filmmaker Award at the Middleburg Film Festival, along with Gotham Award nominations for Best Feature and Breakthrough Director.
Whether his pitch ever reaches Villeneuve is another question. The director still has ‘Dune: Part Three’ to release on December 18 before he fully turns to 007, and the franchise hasn’t even named its leading man yet, let alone anyone else in the cast.
Would you like to see Denis Villeneuve's James Bond movie introduce male Bond love interests instead of traditional Bond girls?
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