Denis Villeneuve becomes Bond director. Those who know him imagine 007 as a secret agent who prefers short espressos to shaken martinis.

The name is Villeneuve, Denis Villeneuve. The French-Canadian is set to direct the next Bond film. The choice of the 57-year-old blockbuster specialist is a statement.

For Amazon, the new creative director of 007, only a "big shot" would do. Anyone who feared that James Bond would be reduced to a streaming hero on Prime can breathe a sigh of relief. Villeneuve promises big-budget action.

Visual appeal is central to his cinema, which fits in well with the globetrotter James Bond, who often finds himself in exotic locations. One would almost bet that the next, the 26th Bond film, will feature not only action scenes in the air and underwater, but also in the desert. Villeneuve demonstrated his expertise in the sandy terrain with "Dune." He is currently working on the third installment of the fantasy epic, with Bond following.

He also directed "Blade Runner 2049," and before that, he landed aliens in "Arrival." Anyone who hires Denis Villeneuve gets a cinema of attractions, that much is clear. He's a film for the masses, and he's a bankable actor. "Dune: Part Two" grossed well over $700 million, a similar amount to the last Bond film, "No Time to Die."

Jeff Bezos needs a big-money director. His online retailer spent a lot of money on the rights to the secret agent, with talk of eight and a half billion dollars. Sooner or later, Amazon will have to take stock.

The choice of a star director, however, represents a departure from previous practice: In the past, Bond tended to acquire middle-of-the-road filmmakers—those who were still easily moldable for the producers.

Villeneuve's predecessor, Cary Joji Fukunaga, had made his mark on "No Time to Die" with "True Detective." Sam Mendes came to "Skyfall" from upscale arthouse cinema ("American Beauty," "Revolutionary Road"). The idea behind Bond is that the brand is paramount. The filmmaker is expected to subordinate himself: no experiments, no overly prominent directorial style. A Bond film is, and always will be, a Bond film.

Denis Villeneuve knows this, of course. He grew up watching James Bond with his father, he says in a press release. "I'm a die-hard Bond fan. For me, he's holy ground."

Villeneuve clearly wants to dispel the impression that he might be taking too many liberties. It's still hard to say which direction the series will take under his helm. According to the Hollywood Reporter, they're currently looking for a screenwriter, but they're mostly waiting for the lead actor to be chosen. The macho Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("Kraven the Hunter") is rumored to be among the candidates, though a more interesting prospect might be Josh O'Connor ("Challengers").

Either way, Denis Villeneuve is likely to continue the rather serious tone established by the Daniel Craig films. Villeneuve can do anything, but he hasn't yet been perceived as particularly humorous. In addition to science fiction, he's adept at no-bullshit thrillers like "Prisoners" (2013) and "Sicario" (2015). That's also his personality: down-to-earth, serious, and slightly nerdy. A hard worker and a film fanatic. From an encounter a few years ago, one remembers him as a conversationalist who speaks quickly and knows exactly what he wants. Translated into Bond, one imagines a secret agent who is more likely to down short espressos than shaken martinis.