Sam Mendes in negotiations to direct Bond 24 after all

Harmsway wrote:

For what it's worth, I do have reservations about Mendes returning. He said in interviews that he would like to see the next film explore the new MI6 family. I don't find that idea particularly appealing, since I found the "new MI6 family" aspect of SKYFALL to be pretty weak.

Indeed. I seem to recall that in his SKYFALL commentary he makes a remark to the effect that Tanner could really go places in the next Bond film. Who exactly is calling for this?

The notion that Bond might end up as an Ethan Hunt-type with an extensive support team of series "regulars" following him around the globe worries me.

Harmsway wrote:

The notion that Bond might end up as an Ethan Hunt-type with an extensive support team of series "regulars" following him around the globe worries me.

I'd sooner have the codename theory than that.

Who knows? Maybe Kincaid could return, popping up every so often to impart some fatherly advice to Bond. "You jumped-up little shit!" could become a recurring catchphrase.

Well, colour me enthused about Mendes.

I like the news about Mendes' return but I don't like that the gap between Bond movies is starting to become the norm. Every two years, please and thank you.

I'm not particularly bothered either way. If he comes back, cool. If not, oh well.

It would be nice to see a little more consistency with directors. Although not quite as consistent as John Glenn in the 80's. Things got just a little too complacent and stale. But it would be nice to see some people do two films, have somebody else give it a go and continue the cycle.

I wish, however, they would manage to get back into a routine release pattern though. While I would prefer every other year (the standard rule for most of the series) I wouldn't even mind them falling into an every 3 year cycle if it means getting a damn good film, but I wouldn't be too thrilled about another 4 year wait.

Hopefully we get Bond 24 in 2014 or 2015.

If Bond 24 doesn't come out until 2016, I would assume it would be Craig's last considering how he has aged. If the release cycle continues as it has, that means 25 wouldn't be until 2019/2020 and I just can't see Craig being around in the role for 14 years.

Be more than happy to see him return, not so keen on the potential wait until 2016. There was a statement after MGM was bought over that they wanted to get back to the every-other-year release schedule, but I guess Skyfall taking 4 years to come out and chalking up a billion-plus at the box office has possibly caused a rethink on the 'gaps'.

Sam Mendes: why James Bond is right to wait for the Skyfall director

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2013/may/29/sam-mendes-james-bond-director

Shouldn't be too long a wait. Script will surely be ready by the new year. If pre-production gets rolling by spring 2014, perhaps a summer 2015 release won't be out of the question - that is if Sony/MGM will ditch the comfy fall release slot.

The question is: can they release consistent, quality films every other year?

On the one hand I would absolutely love to see Bond back every other year. But if means getting films like Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough, then I might be willing to let them take that extra year or so.

I like Quantum of Solace, I don't think it is as bad as people make it out to be. But it is certainly the weakest of the Craig era. I would be cool with them doing it every 3 years if it means getting quality stuff like CR and SF. However, 4 years seems too long.

The very well connected Roger Friedman of Showbiz 411 (who leaked the lyrics of Adele's Skyfall before the rest of the world had heard it) is now reporting that it's a done deal. Not only that, but Mendes is probably going to direct Bond 25 as well.

Quote :

Well, I’ve got it as confirmed as it can be: Sam Mendes is the definite director of Bond 24 and most likely Bond 25. He’s in, after exhaustive negotiations. Mendes obviously got what he wanted and will be a rich, rich man when his time with James Bond is over. The director of “American Beauty” did want to keep his theater career alive and will, even with the long planning for the Bond movies. But “Skyfall” was too much of a hit to let him go, and really no one else compared to him. Mendes and Daniel Craig will see “Bond” through to the end.

As for Adele singing more theme songs, that is not at all done or arranged or even talked about, I am told. Adele has to get cracking on her new album first.

http://www.showbiz411.com/2013/05/29/confirmed-skyfall-director-sam-mendes-in-for-bond-24-and-likely-25

This makes me wonder if the two-parter rumors were kinda right.

The thought of more Adele Bond themes makes me shiver.

Not the worst thing that could happen.

GeneralGogol wrote:

Shouldn't be too long a wait. Script will surely be ready by the new year. If pre-production gets rolling by spring 2014, perhaps a summer 2015 release won't be out of the question - that is if Sony/MGM will ditch the comfy fall release slot.

Apparently a Norwegian director was approached and he was asked to read the script. So the script is probably in its final stages.

http://www.mi6-hq.com/news/index.php?itemid=10939&t=mi6&s=news

Great news about Mendes! It'd be great to regain that continuity with directors.

Harmsway wrote:

This makes me wonder if the two-parter rumors were kinda right.

Well, if Mendes is up for BOND 24 and BOND 25 then the two-parter thing may well be the way to go. It didn't work (in my opinion) with CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE (because the two films are so different in style [and quality] and thus really don't fit together at all except in raw terms of narrative arc), but it could work brilliantly with the same director onboard.

Looks like Mendes may become literally the Nolan of the Bond series. Which may not be such a bad thing.

ETA: Intriguing news about Morten Tyldum. I don't know anything about this guy and have seen none of his films. But it's interesting that the likes of Winding Refn (or is it just Refn?) and Tyldum were supposedly under consideration.

Quote :

Shouldn't be too long a wait. Script will surely be ready by the new year. If pre-production gets rolling by spring 2014, perhaps a summer 2015 release won't be out of the question - that is if Sony/MGM will ditch the comfy fall release slot.

Except Mendes currently has a West-End musical in previews that given the talent and money and commerciality involved will probably transfer to Broadway. A production of King Lear at The National Theatre. And a revival of his version of Cabaret is also in the works for which he might have some involvement. Mendes is a busy man, and if they wanted him as badly as has been suggested he probably got a lot of flexibility in his contract.

Still, it's nice to have a consistent creative team for a change. John Logan and Mendes may not be perfect (though reality is, nobody will be. I suspect if Terence Young, Cubby and Maibaum rose from the dead to produce more Bond films they'd get torn apart by some section of the fandom) but in addition to actually having an awareness of commerciality (something Forster lacked), their theatre backgrounds give them an good eye for character. Something Purvis, Wade and to a far greater extent Haggis and Feirstein did not have. I'm not going to complain about having some smart creatives working on the Bond films, even if I they don't make my ideal version of a Bond film.

Vesper wrote:

Still, it's nice to have a consistent creative team for a change. John Logan and Mendes may not be perfect (though reality is, nobody will be. I suspect if Terence Young, Cubby and Maibaum rose from the dead to produce more Bond films they'd get torn apart by some section of the fandom) but in addition to actually having an awareness of commerciality (something Forster lacked), their theatre backgrounds give them an good eye for character. Something Purvis, Wade and to a far greater extent Haggis and Feirstein did not have. I'm not going to complain about having some smart creatives working on the Bond films, even if I they don't make my ideal version of a Bond film.

Wise words. I'll drink to that.

Largo's Shark wrote:

The thought of more Adele Bond themes makes me shiver.

Based on that piece, I get the feeling Adele won't be back any time soon.

Then again, I wouldn't be too surprised if EON wants to make her This Generation's Shirley Bassey.™

Quote :

Mendes obviously got what he wanted and will be a rich, rich man when his time with James Bond is over.

And, if true, EON obviously got what they wanted and the films will be much richer for Mendes' presence. In a way, I think he really was the perfect choice for SKYFALL because the film was as good for him as he was for it.

Loomis wrote:

Harmsway wrote:

This makes me wonder if the two-parter rumors were kinda right.

Well, if Mendes is up for BOND 24 and BOND 25 then the two-parter thing may well be the way to go. It didn't work (in my opinion) with CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE (because the two films are so different in style [and quality] and thus really don't fit together at all except in raw terms of narrative arc), but it could work brilliantly with the same director onboard.

I don't think the CR-QOS experiment failed because they had different directors. I think it failed because CR ended with the knowledge that it wanted to have a sequel, but it had no idea what form that sequel would take. If QOS had been much more clearly-defined during the production of CR, then it - and the two-part approach - would have been much stronger.

I'm still not totally sold on the idea of a two-part approach, though. I think it would be a fairly cheap way of doing things, especially if the films are going to be released several years apart. The first film would need to have a self-contained story arc, with a final scene that leaves open a clear path for the next film to follow, but which doesn't undo everything that came before it. It would also need to have some foreshadowing, so that the audience isn't totally taken aback when they see the final scene.

The best example I can think of is the tenth season of "NCIS". The heads of two intelligence services were murdered in the episode "Shiva", and the NCIS team spent most of the rest of the season chasing the person responsible. However, the final episode, "Damned If You Do" revealed that that person was only responsible for one death, and that the other had been carried out by the CIA, who then manipulated the NCIS team into chasing their target and covering up the CIA's involvement, which sets the course for the next season.

That, I think is the kind of approach a two-part film has to take.

Largo's Shark wrote:

The very well connected Roger Friedman of Showbiz 411 (who leaked the lyrics of Adele's Skyfall before the rest of the world had heard it) is now reporting that it's a done deal. Not only that, but Mendes is probably going to direct Bond 25 as well.

Quote :

Well, I’ve got it as confirmed as it can be: Sam Mendes is the definite director of Bond 24 and most likely Bond 25. He’s in, after exhaustive negotiations. Mendes obviously got what he wanted and will be a rich, rich man when his time with James Bond is over. The director of “American Beauty” did want to keep his theater career alive and will, even with the long planning for the Bond movies. But “Skyfall” was too much of a hit to let him go, and really no one else compared to him. Mendes and Daniel Craig will see “Bond” through to the end.

As for Adele singing more theme songs, that is not at all done or arranged or even talked about, I am told. Adele has to get cracking on her new album first.

http://www.showbiz411.com/2013/05/29/confirmed-skyfall-director-sam-mendes-in-for-bond-24-and-likely-25

Interesting. Seems hard to believe they would nab him for 25, too, although it wouldn't surprise me. The producers have been looking for directing consistency since 95. They wanted Campbell back, he said no. After Spottiswoode did TND, they wanted him back, he said no. The Campbell did CR and declined again in 2008. So it would be nice to see a consistent writer/director for at least 2 or 3 films.

Looks like he's holding out for more money.

Alimony's a bitch.

I trust that Babs and Mikey will show him the right numbers.