After a rush of rumours today about who would direct Bond 24, the speculation may be over as quickly as it began. Sam Mendes, the man who directed Skyfall, is reportedly in talks with Sony and MGM to helm the next installment in the 007 franchise.
Mendes was rumoured to be in consideration for the next film basically since the day Skyfall burst into theatres and shattered the box office records of the franchise. But then there were reports that his schedule wouldn’t allow him to return, opening the door to bring in a fresh face. It seems Mendes has found a way to clear his schedule though, as Deadline says it’s basically a done deal.
Bringing Mendes back is a safe move, as he crafted the most successful Bond film yet, at least in terms of box office figures. In terms of the quality of Skyfall, it’s definitely on par with the best of Bond, so there’s no reason that anyone should be upset about this decision.
In case something goes wrong with the negotiations and the franchise has to move on to someone else besides Mendes, let’s recap the other directors who have been rumoured today. First, we heard word that Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive) would be the one to take on the film. Then a longer list of directors who met to discuss the project hit the web. That list includes Ang Lee, Tom Hooper, David Yates and Shane Black. And of course, there’s been speculation about Christopher Nolan taking on the film as well.
But it looks like all those names are irrelevant now that Mendes is game, and negotiations are underway. While it would’ve been nice to see someone like Nolan or Refn take on the film, there’s still hope for them to be at the helm of a future 007 flick, so for now we can just be excited about the possibilities of Mendes finding a way to improve upon his 007 debut.
What do you think of Mendes directing Bond 24? Is there someone else you would rather see? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
