- Denis Villeneuve is new Bond director
- He's already proved a dab hand at car scenes
- Chase sequence in 2013's Prisoners thought to be one of most captivating ever
- Reddit users have waxed lyrical about it
- Bond 26 due to start filming in 2026
James Bond fans rejoice - because new director Denis Villeneuve has already filmed one of the most ‘captivating’ car chase sequences in cinematic history.
Bond and cars go hand in hand, with the franchise famed for its automotive stunts and having long been associated with British manufacturer Aston Martin.
French-Canadian film-maker Villeneuve has been announced as the helmer for upcoming Bond 26, with the latest instalment due to begin filming in 2026.
And if Bond aficionados were worried about how the Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director might handle 007’s four-wheeled action set pieces, they needn't be, as Villeneuve promised to ‘honour the tradition’ of the series - and clearly loves a good car scene.
Movie buffs at Select Car Leasing point out that, back in 2013, Villeneuve directed a movie called Prisoners.
It’s a visceral crime thriller starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal and follows the abduction of two young girls in Pennsylvania, USA.
One particular scene (mild plot spoilers ahead) sees Gyllenhaal’s character Detective Loki racing to the nearest hospital in his police car with a casualty on the back seat who is close to death.
Loki is himself gravely injured, his face covered in blood, as he swerves through busy traffic on roads soaked with rain.
According to Reddit users, the scene in Prisoners is one of the most emotionally-charged car-based film segments they’ve ever witnessed.
One user in the thread from last year - tiled ‘Why is the car scene in Denis Villeneuve's 'Prisoners' so captivating?’ - said: “I just finished watching Prisoners for the first time yesterday and there's one scene in it that I've been watching on repeat since. It's the scene when Detective Loki finally finds (character name deleted by us to avoid spoilers!) and rushes her to the hospital. I can't quite grasp what it is about this scene that's so captivating to me. Somehow, a regular shot of an American highway suddenly looked so surreal to me in that moment. All those flashing lights, the blue lights of the car flashing on Loki's blood stained face. And the music, my God the music by Jóhann Jóhannsson (RIP), just elevates this scene beyond words for me. Just the sheer determinism of our protagonist to race against time in the end, combined with the visuals and music, has imprinted this scene in my mind. Flashy well made car chases are not anything new to cinema, so why is this relatively simply made scene so enthralling?”
A contributor added: “The stakes are way higher, emotionally in this than say in a car chase in James Bond.”
Another wrote: “Flashy car chases are a dime a dozen, right? But here's the kicker: this isn't just a car chase. It's the climax of an emotional rollercoaster. Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins, the cinematographer, aren't just showing you a fast car; they're thrusting you into the desperation and raw determination of Loki. The scene's simplicity strips away any typical Hollywood glamor, leaving you with raw, unfiltered emotion. “
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Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing says Bond fans should be excited at the prospect of Villeneuve - who also shot an epic flying car chase scene in Blade Runner 2049 - behind the lens.
He added: “When it comes to James Bond movies, some of the most memorable sequences of all time involve cars, whether it’s a Lotus Esprit transforming into a submarine in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me, or those stirring shots of Daniel Craig driving an Aston Martin DB5 through Scotland’s moody-looking Glencoe at the end of 2012’s Skyfall.
“With Denis Villeneuve behind the camera for Bond 26, we’re expecting big things from the franchise’s ubiquitous car chase scenes, as he’s already proved adept at wringing every last drop of emotion out of them.”
You can watch an interview (via GQ magazine) with Prisoners cinematographer Roger Deakins discussing how he filmed the car scene here (Warning, plot spoilers):
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