Sam Mendes Talks Moving On From Bond After SPECTRE & The Future Of The Franchise
Naturally, there's been plenty of speculation about the future of the Bond franchise. Director Sam Mendes recently weighed in with his take, and reiterated that he has no plans to return...
Today's the big day! As Spectre opens across the US and in a host of other international territories, audiences will be treated to Daniel Craig's fourth outing as suave super-spy, James Bond. Over the last few weeks, there's been plenty of speculation about where the franchise could go afterwards, with Sony seemingly set to lose the rights, and Craig himself hinting that he's getting tired of the role. One man who won't be returning, is director Sam Mendes.
It's probably worth mentioning that's exactly what he said after Skyfall. Nevertheless, for the moment he appears to have his mind made up. "There's a sense of completeness [with Spectre] that wasn’t there at the end of Skyfall," Mendes claimed, speaking to Deadline, "That's what makes this feel different. It feels like there’s a rightness to it, that I have finished a journey."
The Oscar-winning director also touched on the franchise's future, hinting that a fresh start may actually be the best scenario. "You cast a new actor and find a new director, and make something totally new," he proposed. "I can, off the top of my head, give you three or four ideas for where it could go next. They’re all daring and big. To me, the enemy is repetition and laziness, and the great danger is not challenging the preexisting format."
"These are my two chapters of the Bond myth. Someone else is going to write a chapter or 10 or 50, because Bond is strong enough for that, and because there’s enough to play with. Daniel may absolutely turn around six months’ time and feel his energy renewed. Or he might say just the opposite. If he is as sensible as I think he is, he needs to go away and have some time to think and do another job that’s completely different, which he’s already doing with Othello."
Where do you think the franchise can go from here? Do you agree with Mendes, or would you prefer to see both he and Craig return one last time? Sound off with your thoughts below!
Spectre is out in theatres across the US & UK now. You can check out my review for CBM HERE!