‘Skyfall’ director wouldn’t return to Bond because producers want “more controllable” filmmakers
Skyfall director Sam Mendes has said he would not return to the James Bond franchise as they want “more controllable” filmmakers.
Mendes, who also helmed 2015’s Spectre, made the comments in a new interview with Inverse, claiming that he feels that part of his life is now behind him.
“Never say never, to quote the man, but I would doubt it,” he said. “It was very good for me at that moment in my life. I felt like it shot me out of some old habits. It made me think on a bigger scale. It made me use different parts of my brain. You have to have a lot of energy.
“They want slightly more malleable people who are earlier in their career, who perhaps are going to use it as a stepping stone, and who are more controllable by the studio,” he added.
Last year, Skyfall was named by Bond fans as the best film in the franchise’s history, topping the list with 17.5% of the vote, ahead of Goldfinger in second and Daniel Craig’s final entry No Time To Die in third.
Skyfall was both a critical and commercial success, grossing a franchise high of over $1.1 billion at the global box office and earning a critical rating of 92 per cent on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
The film won two Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Sound Editing, while also receiving multiple Grammys, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
The new James Bond, meanwhile, has not been confirmed, although it was reported in March that EON Production had offered Aaron Taylor-Johnson the job after he impressed producer Barbara Broccoli in a screen test.
The actor was asked about the rumours in April, but swerved the question, as he had done multiple times previously. Neither he nor the producers have confirmed or denied the speculation.
Former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan also weighed in on the potential casting, showing his support for Taylor-Johnson.
One of the other actors considered among the frontrunners, Henry Cavill, said earlier this year that he may be “too old now” to take on the role.
Ben Whishaw, who played Q in the last three films, recently said that he did not expect to be returning to the character again. “I think they’re going to start all over again with a new cast, a completely new cast, that’s my hunch,” he said.
Mendes, meanwhile, will be directing the series of four Beatles biopics in the coming years, with one film being told from each band member’s perspective. The films will be the first time the band and their estate have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film. They are due for a global release in 2027.
According to unconfirmed reports, Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Charlie Rowe and Barry Keoghan have been lined up to play Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr respectively in the films.
Mendes is currently promoting the new HBO satirical comedy The Franchise, which he has executive produced alongside Armando Iannucci and Jon Brown.
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Max Pilley
NME
