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Sam Mendes Confirms That He Won't Direct JAMES BOND 24

Well, this is a disappointing way to kick off the day! Despite helming Skyfall last year (a movie which was hailed as the best Bond movie ever by some and the first in the franchise to earn over $1 billion), Sam Mendes has now 100% confirmed he won't be back for the next instalment. Read on for details!

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By Josh Wilding - 3/6/2013

"It has been a very difficult decision not to accept Michael and Barbara’s very generous offer to direct the next Bond movie," Sam Mendes told Empire Online just weeks after Skyfall won "Best British Film" at this year's BAFTA's. "Directing Skyfall was one of the best experiences of my professional life, but I have theatre and other commitments, including productions of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and King Lear, that need my complete focus over the next year and beyond." There had been some doubt that the director would return for the next film, although recent reports seemed to indicate otherwise, especially as writer John Logan had also agreed to return. However, Mendes isn't ruling out coming back to the franchise at some point in the future. "I feel very honoured to have been part of the Bond family and very much hope I have a chance to work with them again sometime in the future." Who would you like to see direct James Bond 24? Sound off with your thoughts in the usual place!

Source: Empire Online
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ahhmynuts - 3/6/2013, 3:18 AM
....whats wrong with you?
Spideyguy94 - 3/6/2013, 3:19 AM
Really disappointed that he's not coming back.
ahhmynuts - 3/6/2013, 3:19 AM
thats f*cked up
batkidmike - 3/6/2013, 3:21 AM
I would recommend Christopher Nolan.
CoulsonLives - 3/6/2013, 3:24 AM
And so ends the tale of a good 007 movie... Shame.
happy11 - 3/6/2013, 3:26 AM
That's what's good about Bond films they each have a different style because of different directors but at the core its still Bond whether it's Connery, Moore or Craig playing the part. Tbh I think Craig should leave on a high but I wouldn't mind either way.
Jolt17 - 3/6/2013, 3:34 AM
What a shame, but...oh, well. Another variation shouldn't hurt, I guess! That being said, Sherlock's Paul McGuigan is my top candidate for the replacement.



Imagining Bond in such a scene has already made me greatly excited.
jimoakley666 - 3/6/2013, 3:40 AM
It's a shame, but really not unexpected. I'd have been VERy surprised if he would have stayed. Mendez always likes to do varied projects. And who could blame him? Regardless, he's left a cracking legacy for the next director to build upon. Let's hope Roger Deakins stays on, and Mendez and Logan have worked on the script. I'd love to see Nolan do a Bond film, but maybe the one after this. I think someone like Duncan Jones or Gareth Evans should be given a crack at this one. Nolan would want to rewrite the script.
AlexDeLarge87 - 3/6/2013, 3:57 AM
Rupert Wyatt, Matthew Vaughn or Martin Campbell again could be cool.
BenderdickCumPatch - 3/6/2013, 4:03 AM
Sad. Still, it's not the end of the world and their are many who can do better/equal him.
Canon38 - 3/6/2013, 4:21 AM
NOLAN!!!!!!!!!!
Wolf89 - 3/6/2013, 4:23 AM
Griff is right, get an actual james bond movie right
BlackHulk - 3/6/2013, 4:29 AM
While the movie was good, it was far from great. The entire movie was spent trying to protect Agent M when at the she still dies. And James Bond has no high tech gadgetry what so ever? C ya Mendes.
niklander - 3/6/2013, 4:32 AM
Now get Matthew Vaughn, Christopher Nolan,Doug Liman, Joe Wright. And start revealing some gadgets oh and since in a year Bond is leaving Activision ROCKSTEADY get the rights.
Christuffer - 3/6/2013, 4:52 AM
This is for the best. It will make Skyfall much more unique
dancingmonkey08 - 3/6/2013, 4:57 AM
Well this is disappointing after yesterday's awesome Iron Man trailer :( After the awesome job he did with Skyfall, its disappointing he is not coming back. In the old days, directors would do whole trilogies in a few years but now directors dont seem to want to stay for anymore than one movie. I guess its the huge amount of effort and work that has to go into making movies these days, its not as easy as in the old days. Plus his reasons he gives in the article too, I guess Bond can be the one thing in his life

Still, disappointing, who could direct the next Bond movie? It wont be Christopher Nolan, he is off doing a new movie now, so who will be a great director for Bond?
1geekygurl - 3/6/2013, 4:58 AM
It was a great film. Very interesting without the usual gadgets and without CGI or the typical threat of a Nuke or etc., with a stupid countdown at the end.
A simple grudge was turned into a captivating masterpiece.

It defied all the corporate logic they believe in. No young cast. No one liners or comedy moment every 3 minutes. No "Biggest threat ever". No current hot chick as a Bond Babe.
In other words you would never, EVER see JJ Abrams, Michael Bay, Nolan, Whedon, Spielberg even attempt to make this film. Because they believe in and follow the Hollywood standard.
Yeah, Mendes said he was influenced by TDK. But his film was less Hollywood than TDK or TDKR with its city held (yawn) Hostage crap or the typical countdown to doom we saw in both of those films.
BlackSun77 - 3/6/2013, 5:23 AM
Christopher Nolan
1geekygurl - 3/6/2013, 5:41 AM
Nolan's Bond: Bond forgets how to fight and his I.Q. dips below 60. Bond starts wetting the bed and cant walk until Q makes him a magic knee brace.
Bond returns to action only to be manipulated by the bad guys into stealing a nuke so they can steal it from Senile Mr. Wayne, I mean Senile Mr. Bond.
Bond is then beaten and up AGAIN, and thrown in a prison where someone punches him in the back and fixes his back.
Bond returns, fights the bad guys LOSES AGAIN?!?, but manages to win after someone else kills the bad guys and Bond rides off with the Nuke but when it explodes he survives because some dumbass wrote it that way.
ToTheManInTheColdSweat - 3/6/2013, 5:46 AM
lmbo, duh he ain't coming back. he ripped off the brilliant tdk for skyfall, he sure ain't ripping off tdkr for "skyfall rises", that would be too obvious.
RPD - 3/6/2013, 5:48 AM
Good. While Skyfall was good I don't think it's the "best Bond ever". In fact I don't even think it's Craig's best Bond (still think that's Casino). I liked the movie, overall, but how did Bond go from being a rookie to about to retire in one film? That was stupid. Also, the so-called Bond girl was about a non-factor. Q, Moneypenny, and the thing with M were all nice touches, though.

Anywho, give me a new director and get back to badass Bond...
bazinga85 - 3/6/2013, 5:53 AM
Don't get Nolan. He needs to focus on JL.
continuezero - 3/6/2013, 5:58 AM
@RPD, Thank you for being the only other person to notice that. In Casino he is just gettin his 00 status and here he is meeting a young Q for the first time and he's deemed too old and needs to retire? WTF...Bond is ageless as is shown over time. That absolutely bothered me.
Adama - 3/6/2013, 6:10 AM
Obviously, Paul Greengrass
TheHeat - 3/6/2013, 6:18 AM
Not Nolan, because he'll rape Bond like he did with Batman. 1geekygurl, above, said it best.
TheSoulEater - 3/6/2013, 6:38 AM
Nooooooooooooooooooooooo
Christuffer - 3/6/2013, 6:49 AM
I would vote for Nolan, but I want him to focus on DC universe
LucasMend - 3/6/2013, 7:28 AM
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ):
Coolkid - 3/6/2013, 7:33 AM
Nolan or Brad Bird...!!!
Nomis1800 - 3/6/2013, 7:55 AM
What a relief! Don't get me wrong, I fakking LOVE Skyfall but it would be better if another director got Bond24 otherwise the mistake of making it too much of the same is closer at hand.. And despite that Skyfall is a fantastic film, we shouldn't want that.

Besides, TOM HOOPER said he'd be interested to make a Bond film. I'd say, hire him!
fettastic - 3/6/2013, 7:55 AM
Just make sure this next one isn't a pastiche of Batman and past Bond stories and iconography. That's what really bothers me about Skyfall. It's like Star Trek: Nemesis that way.
Canon108 - 3/6/2013, 8:10 AM
Matthew Vaughn or Martin Campbell again...Nolan's style doesn't seem to fit Bond.
SonOfStarKiller - 3/6/2013, 8:15 AM
Someone explain to me what a "real Bond" movie is supposed to be? I think some of you guys are way too concerned with gadgets and cheesy dialogue. I've seen them all and I believe Skyfall was brilliant and deserves all the praise it received. Definitely top three of all time.
fettastic - 3/6/2013, 8:26 AM
Yeah I'd be down with Nolan. That could be really powerful and creative.
Chewtoy - 3/6/2013, 8:41 AM
I'm not encouraged by the return of the writer of "Skyfall". The plot of that film was by far the weakest element to it... It's clearly a bunch of set pieces strung together with little reason. My favorite was taking "M" off the grid so the villain can't get to her, and then purposefully having Q lead the villain to her... But not into a trap, because in truth they have little to no weapons ready to defend her (they have to improvise traps), and no back-up waiting to swoop in to deal with the threat when it arrives.

Add all of the nonsense about the underground, WWII headquarters that MI6 use to be less vulnerable to hacking (and yet every door in it has apparently been retrofitted to pop open by electronic means wired to a central computer and not an actual, manual lock) and the.nonsense of the villain getting himself arrested just to have a brief conversation with M that he could have had anywhere and the whole plot is ridiculous. And that's saying something when it comes to a Bond film...
dellamorte1872 - 3/6/2013, 8:42 AM
NOLAN there is little choice he's an admitted fan and he'd craft a classic bond to revival the Skyfall and the other Craig films who have admittedly wron me over as a Bond fan
dellamorte1872 - 3/6/2013, 8:45 AM
Dude all the Bond has some cheap writing, I consider it "pulp" bordering on "campy" but I enjoy it for entertain purposes
dellamorte1872 - 3/6/2013, 8:45 AM
Writing is most important
Ceejay - 3/6/2013, 8:50 AM
@SonOfStarKiller - Bond movies were not supposed to have any technical gadgets at all. Yes it became a recurring thing after they made Goldfinger but it's something that never existed in the original books or the first adapted movies they made.

Unfortunately we still have people who think that's all they're supposed to be about but fortunately they are in the extreme minority. Daniel Craigs back-to-the-source movies have made the kind of money the other silly Bond films could only dream about proving the majority of mature movie-goers out there appreciate a more serious espionage thriller instead of the screwball idiocy of the action-comedy type they spiralled into.

Christopher Nolan, David Fincher or Ridley Scott for next Director.
SonOfStarKiller - 3/6/2013, 9:35 AM
@Ceejay- Thank you! Some guys on here believe If a pen doesn't explode or a car doesn't turn invisible, the movie sucks! Mendes made an amazing Bond film. While respecting (and even poking a little fun) at the previous films, he managed to give it a real espionage feel. I love this new direction the franchise has taken. When someones says "get a director who knows who James Bond really is", I laugh because we just did.

And I agree with your choice of directors. I think a Fincher directed Bond would be completely sick!
nuclearpriest - 3/6/2013, 9:36 AM
I just read that Rupert Wyatt has dropped out of the directing job on the Equalizer movie so I'd imagine he's a viable candidate.
MrEko - 3/6/2013, 9:36 AM
That's a crying shame.

Well, give me Nolan/Fincher + Idris "008" Elba + Tom "Dr No" Hardy, and I'm a happy camper ;)
GunMetalScroll - 3/6/2013, 9:52 AM
Tom Hooper would be a potential choice to direct the next Bond movie.
Bobevanz - 3/6/2013, 10:37 AM
Christopher nolan should direct the next one? NO THANKS! Keep his plotholes and forgettable characters out of the greatness that is james bond. Anyone but that shitty hack. Put down the kool aid hes not a god!
Morbius - 3/6/2013, 11:13 AM
WHAT NOOOOOO!!!!!!! he made one of the best Bond films ever!!!!!!
sinchsw - 3/6/2013, 12:05 PM
MATTHEW VAUGHN or BRAD BIRD!
Bigred20 - 3/6/2013, 12:26 PM
Insert Chris Nolan
Alaba - 3/6/2013, 12:35 PM
Thank God for that. My choice of director would be Guy Ritchie though.
AnungUnRama - 3/6/2013, 2:00 PM
So we have a slight chance to see a real Bond movie after more than 10 years eventually?!?
Jollem - 3/6/2013, 2:08 PM
skyfall is overrated. not horrible :)
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