Sam Mendes said he wouldn’t direct Spectre, but Sony and MGM managed to talk the Oscar winning filmmaker into taking the helm of the Skyfall follow-up. Unfortunately, both the critical and commercial reception was nowhere near as good for his second attempt at 007.
Talking at the Hay Festival on Saturday, Mendes appeared to make it clear that he’s now done with the James Bond franchise, stating: “It was an incredible adventure, I loved every second of it. But I think it’s time for somebody else.” As great as Mendes’ work on the franchise was, there’s no denying that some fresh blood is exactly what is needed.
The same applies for who should play James Bond (Tom Hidddleston has recently emerged as the frontrunner), and it’s worth noting that Daniel Craig has said in the past that he would a) rather slash his wrists rather than return and b) wouldn’t do so without Mendes anyway.
“I’m a storyteller,” the filmmaker continued. “And at the end of the day, I want to make stories with new characters.” Asked for his opinion on a replacement for Craig, Mendes chose his words carefully and made it clear that it’s not his decision. “It’s not a democracy. Barbara Broccoli (producer) decides who is going to be the next Bond, end of story.” Time will tell!
