Mendes publicly confirms he´s in discussions to direct the next Bond

Okay, so it´s not just a rumor. In a new interview with “The Stage” Sam Mendes has confirmed that he is in discussions to direct the follow-up to SKYFALL.

However, he claims that he will not decide to actually do it before his current stage production of “Charlie and the Chocolat Factory” (now in previews) has officially opened. The Opening Gala is set for June 25th. Maybe we can expect an announcement soon after that.

Another sign that Mendes might be planning to direct BOND 24 could be seen in his decision not to run the National Theatre, a position which he was interested in before.

Read the interview here: http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2013/06/sam-mendes-rules-himself-out-of-the-running-for-national-theatre-job/

Mendes apparently back in the picture for Bond 24

The will he/won’t he drama seems to continue. While Mendes did initially turn down directing duties for the 24th James Bond film due to his commitments to the theater.  I reported back in March that EON were still interested in signing him up. Well it seems that they were able to work with his schedule and get him onboard.

While I haven’t minded a new director for each film, it did make each new film unique. Getting Mendes back will lead to a whole new set of expectations for the next film.

If Mendes does return, this will mar the first time in nearly 25 years that someone has directed two Bond films in a row.

Read the full story at Deadline Hollywood.

You can discuss this story on our forums.

Bond 24 will still root Bond in reality.

John Logan, the soul director of the next two Bond films, and co writer of Skyfall, has said that Bond 24 will still remain Faithful to Ian Flemings original incarnation. Speaking to the Financial Times, Logan said that “Fleming’s courage in showing Bond’s fear and vulnerability and depression was really interesting and something that a modern audience can accept,” said Logan. “I think Skyfall demonstrated that they want more layers to that character. And those are the layers that Fleming wrote.”. You can view the article here, via IGN, or if you so wish, catch up with Logan’s stage and film work on the like supplied for the financial times.

Could Guy Ritchie direct the next film?

“Bookmaker William Hill has named Guy Ritchie as the favourite to direct the next Bond film, following the news that ‘Skyfall’ helmsman Sam Mendes has ruled himself out.

The director of ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ and the recent ‘Sherlock Holmes’ films is being given odds of 4-1.”

Read the full story here.

While I must admit I’m not too familiar with Ritchie’s work. I have seen Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and thought they were both really good films. So I’d be on board with this if it were true.

Skyfall writers talk Bond.

In a new article by IGN, Skyfall writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade sit down and discuss the past, present and future of James Bond, and don’t rule out the possibility of working on future Bond outings. You can read the full article here

Ben Whishaw “Bond 24 will shoot this year.”

Ben Whishaw, the actor behind ‘Skyfall’s new Quartermaster, has revealed that Bond 24, the followup to ‘Skyfall’ will start shooting this year. Speaking to the Radio Times, Whishaw revealed that he thinks that Daniel Craig and himself will “probably be back together again in about ten months”. Whishaw also revealed that he wants a larger role in 007’s next outing, and that Sam Mendes needs to return to the directors chair. You can read the full article here.

So production could begin sooner than later? Could this mean that Mendes signed up secretly to Bond 24 and Bond 25 way before ‘Skyfall’ finished production? Has the recent Mendes news all just been a very brilliant publicity stunt by EON? More news will be revealed soon, so keep checking back for more updates.

Mendes co-created the idea for Bond 24, says Skyfall scribe Robert Wade.

Bleeding Cool reports that Skyfall director Sam Mendes has (along with John Logan) come up with the plot of the next Bond film. According to writer Robert Wade:

We’re very happy to have done five Bond movies, I think we’ve gotten it to a good place. I know that John Logan and Sam Mendes have come up with a plot for another one, which takes the pressure off because these films take up a lot of time.

Now of course this is no indication that Mendes is returning to direct the next film. But I agree with the author of the Bleeding Cool article, would Mendes really cook up an idea for another director? Exciting developments indeed.

Read the full article here.

Reports: John Logan scripting original two-part story for Bond 24 and 25

John Logan

Skyfall is just days into what looks set to be a record-breaking run in theatres, so it’s not surprising that the wheels appear to already be in motion for James Bond’s next adventure. Or should that be adventures?

According to reports in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, Skyfall screenwriter John Logan has signed on to pen the 24th and 25th films in the James Bond series.

The Hollywood Reporter claims the scripts will feature an original two-part story arc, not based on the Ian Fleming novels. Variety, meanwhile, speculates that the Logan deal could see Bond 24 and Bond 25 filmed back-to-back.

The reports claim Logan pitched the story to 007 producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and that he has already begun solo work on the screenplays.

The news follows an earlier report in the Guardian claiming that Logan had signed on for Bond 24. That report also revealed Neal Purvis and Robert Wade would be bowing out from the series, having written or co-written every Bond film since 1999’s The World Is Not Enough.

MGM declined to comment on the latest reports.

Head on over to this thread of the CommanderBond.net forums to discuss this news.

The Future of MI6 (MAJOR Skyfall Spoilers)

Producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have spilled the beans on the future of MI6 in Bond 24 and beyond.

Major game changing spoilers ahead for SKYFALL so read at your own risk. We cannot stress this enough. If you want to stay completely spoiler free for ‘Skyfall’ do NOT click this link.

continue reading…

John Logan penning Bond 24?

As Skyfall is mere minutes from UK release, Bond 24 pre-production is apparently well underway, with Skyfall writer John Logan solely penning 007’s next outing. The Guardian reports that Purvis and Wade have decided to bow out of the next instalment as they wish to try new things. Read the full article here.