'Skyfall's' Sam Mendes not directing Bond 24 after all
Oscar winner too busy with 'King Lear' and other theater commitments
Sam Mendes directs Daniel Craig in 'Skyfall.'
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After weeks of hints, rumors and expectations, it now appears that "Skyfall" director Sam Mendes won't return for Bond 24.
With "Skyfall" earning more than $1 billion at the box office and recently picking up two Oscars, it's understandable that producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are eager to move forward on Bond 24, but doing so means that Mendes won't be able to commit to the film.
"It has been a very difficult decision not to accept Michael and Barbara’s very generous offer to direct the next Bond movie," he told Empire. "Directing 'Skyfall' was one of the best experiences of my professional life, but I have theatre and other commitments, including productions of 'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory' and 'King Lear,' that need my complete focus over the next year and beyond."
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"Skyfall" reinvigorated the franchise, bringing 007 back to Square One career-wise, and introducing a new support team for Bond (Daniel Craig) which includes such luminaries as Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw.
Mendes also assembled an ace crew for the film, including Oscar-nominated DP Roger Deakins and Oscar-nominated composer Thomas Newman, but it remains to be seen if they'll return.
"We thoroughly enjoyed working with Sam, he directed our most successful Bond movie ever, 'Skyfall,'" Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli told Empire. "We would have loved to have made the next film with him but completely respect his decision to focus on other projects and hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with him again."
With the "Skyfall" cast and the Bond legacy as prime selling points, however, Broccoli and Wilson shouldn't have trouble attracting another A-list name.
Who would you like to see direct the next Bond adventure?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupIntellectual Ninja
March 6, 2013 at 2:32PM EST Reply to CommentMatthew Vaughn.
Danny Boyle.
I'm actually most enamored with the idea of Danny Boyle directing a Bond, bringing his kind of kinetic brilliance to staging and shooting the adventures of 007.
As for Vaughn, we know he and Daniel Craig work very well together from Layer Cake, so it would be cool to see that partnership reunited on the screen again, which much, much larger stakes.
mridge1 Isn't Vaughn developing 'Secret Service' which is Mark Millar's take on 007?
March 6, 2013 at 9:27PM ESTmgrabois
March 7, 2013 at 3:26AM EST Reply to CommentWas the whole "Skyfall is the Bond home and here are his parents' graves" the first time we had seen in the movies anything significant about Bond's private life pre-007?
I think it was a mistake to include that - we've seen multiple M's and Q's so we know those are job titles that pass to different people, so why not let "James Bond" be an alias used by whoever's 007? That way all of the Bond movies can be in the same continuity and clearly explains why Bond/Connery, Bond/Moore, and Bond/Craig have different skills and experience levels.
anonymoose 007 is alreay an alias though you cant have an alias for an alias besides in the original books im pretty sure they explored his past somewhat already
March 18, 2013 at 6:15PM ESTcornholio1980
March 7, 2013 at 4:52AM EST Reply to CommentEmpire ran a couple of possible replacements yesterday, and I would love it Broccoli and Wilson gave Joe Wright a chance. If they want the next Bond to follow into "Skyfall" and Mendes' footsteps, he seems like the perfect choice.
PENTIUM
March 7, 2013 at 11:10AM EST Reply to CommentTomas Alfredsdon...