396 replies to this topic

[Mr. Blofeld]

Why not Edward Zwick? From what I've seen of Defiance, he's directed Daniel Craig in a most remarkable performance.

[Royal Dalton]

This female directors question interests me, though. Anyone with any suggestions?

I can't really think of any.

Sally Potter, maybe? Or, Antonia Bird.

[tim partridge]

Wasn't Lee Tamahori a high-brow, "director's director" change of pace for the franchise before he made DAD? The experience seemed to change him and the types of movies he makes dramatically. I am not saying the same fate will come of Forster, but on the other hand isn't it a tad naive to pat him on the back as an instant success at this stage? I sure as hell wasn't expecting that CGI tidal wave (or the inappropriate faddy editing, sub-Bruckheimer visuals, the sex scene from Top Gun, unconvincing techno music, the bullet in the title sequence, etc)...

Martin Campbell or Michael Apted I'd gladly have back (though rather with an Alexander Witt as oppose to a Vic Armstrong shooting the action for the latter).

Stuart Baird would be a great choice too. Eon has already had two massive successives promoting their editors to directors.

Re: Antonia Bird:

I feel Eon missed their chance with her when FACE came out ten years ago. On the quality of that as a British action/suspense movie, she was prime for Bond and should have at least been considered for TOMORROW NEVER DIES or DIE ANOTHER DAY.

Edited by tim partridge, 30 January 2008 - 12:20 AM.

[Ian-FZer007even]

Hi All,

I'm a longtime visiter/reader of CBn and I finally registered to post in the forums. I only come here for any and all JB news. From my perspective: Cbn members are hardcore with a dash of elegance and style.

Hmm... for my selection for Bond 23 director would have to be (get ready) Andrew Niccol. My fav writer and director. He could bring so much to the table. This man is on another level and what he could bring to Bond 23 or so on would be so sublime.

[dinovelvet]

Wasn't Lee Tamahori a high-brow, "director's director" change of pace for the franchise before he made DAD? The experience seemed to change him and the types of movies he makes dramatically. I am not saying the same fate will come of Forster, but on the other hand isn't it a tad naive to pat him on the back as an instant success at this stage? I sure as hell wasn't expecting that CGI tidal wave (or the inappropriate faddy editing, sub-Bruckheimer visuals, the sex scene from Top Gun, unconvincing techno music, the bullet in the title sequence, etc)...

No, Tamahori was pretty much B-list when he signed on for DAD. Although 'Once were warriors' was a hard hitting indie drama that put him on the map, he followed it up with a string of mediocre Hollywood thrillers like Mulholland Falls, The Edge, and Along came a spider (which featured his first foray into terrible CGI).

As for the Ed Zwick suggestion, yes he'd certainly be a credible, Oscar-bait director with a good feel for scenery and travelogue, as seen in The Last Samurai and Blood Diamond, but of course he is American, and we don't know if EON are ready to make that leap just yet. I think if EON were to hire an American director for the first time, it would have to be somebody absolutely huge, i.e. Spielberg.

[DaveBond21]

Frears or Nolan spring to mind.

I agree that we will see more artistic directors working on Bond movies (at least during the Daniel Craig era). However, they have to accept that they are doing a Bond movie at the same time - artistic licence can only go so far. There is still a formula to them.

Spielberg would have been an interesting choice 30 years ago. Not now.

[Harmsway]

As for the Ed Zwick suggestion, yes he'd certainly be a credible, Oscar-bait director with a good feel for scenery and travelogue, as seen in The Last Samurai and Blood Diamond, but of course he is American, and we don't know if EON are ready to make that leap just yet. I think if EON were to hire an American director for the first time, it would have to be somebody absolutely huge, i.e. Spielberg.

Zwick is certainly a possibility, though. For an American director, his films carry a certain... European quality to them. And I don't think an American director would have to be huge for EON to pick them. I get the sense that this predjudice is slowly eroding, and that it could be broken down any second. If Craig really liked Zwick as a director, expect his name to get thrown into the ring for BOND 23, if only because Craig puts him forward (Craig had a part in suggesting Michell).

Swedish director Lasse Hallstr

[Skudor]

It certainly seems like EON could attract some pretty serious directing talent if Quantum of Solace works out well. I think they still have something to prove when it comes to attaching a quality drama director to what is essentially an action flick (with some heavy producer involvement). I seem to recall that Lee Tamahori was hyped as a great actors' director - and we got TWINE (poor action, Denise Richards and all that).

I'm not saying that Quantum of Solace won't beat that hands down - Casino Royale certainly suggests that they can pull this off. However, the caveat has to be that Casino Royale was directed by someone who knows action and can handle actors.

Personally I'd love to see Ridley Scott do one... although that is extremely unlikely to happen!

[Mr. Blofeld]

John Madden (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, PROOF) might be another name. Not a particularly likely choice, but worth getting thrown in the ring. He's British, to boot.

You know, I'd hate to be ignorant, but that only makes me think of John Madden the sportscaster; we'd probably be getting a product placement for "tough-actin' Tinactin" halfway through the film!

[ACE]

Love the choices above:

Fernando Meirelles (who claims he was up for Bond 20 - got the British sensibility with The Constant Gardner)
Peter Weir (one of my all time favourites)
Andrew Niccol (again, superb - Gattaca is one of my favourite movies and Lord Of War was superbly cynical. Tends to write what he directs though.)
Phillip Noyce
Christopher Nolan - a Bond fan, after Batman freedom, perhaps Eon would be too constraining.

Some of mine:

Alfonso Cuar

[Vauxhall]

Some fantastic suggestions above, and many of these would be a great coup for the Bond franchise. I think that Edward Zwick would be my personal preference. Just interested about what people's thoughts on Steven Soderbergh would be?

[plankattack]

Some fantastic suggestions above, and many of these would be a great coup for the Bond franchise. I think that Edward Zwick would be my personal preference. Just interested about what people's thoughts on Steven Soderbergh would be?

I'd love to see Soderbergh get a go. I know that he's associated with the Ocean's movies when it comes to "big" films, but he's told some great "thriller-type" stories in smaller movies - The Limey and The Underneath (which I really like).

[Harmsway]

Just interested about what people's thoughts on Steven Soderbergh would be?

He can be very, very stylish, so I wouldn't really be opposed to him, but I don't think he's a particularly likely suggestion.

[Harmsway]

[quote name='ACE' post='830888' date='30 January 2008 - 06:14']Alfonso Cuar

[Royal Dalton]

Fernando Meirelles

I could see that one happening.

[Harmsway]

How about Steven Zaillian, writer/director of SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISHER, A CIVIL ACTION, and ALL THE KING'S MEN (also known for writing SCHINDLER'S LIST, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, HANNIBAL, and AMERICAN GANGSTER)? Probably not, but again, you never know. He strikes me as being in the Tony Gilroy category.

[Cody]

Craig and Meirelles nearly worked together on Blindness last year, then Craig opted to do Defiance instead.

[HH007]

Some of these choices I like, some I think are a little out there (Sofia Coppola???), but I like Zwick, Soderbergh, Cuaron, and Meirelles. I think those would be interesting choices. What would you guys think of Robert Rodriguez?

[Harmsway]

What would you guys think of Robert Rodriguez?

:::screams in horror:::

Please, never let that hack near Bond. Ever. He's made a few watchable films, but most of his stuff has been flat-out awful, and even what watchable films he's made haven't been particularly great.

But seriously, I don't think he has a chance. He's not prestigious enough. It would be like EON hiring Zack Snyder.

[HH007]

What would you guys think of Robert Rodriguez?

:::screams in horror:::

Please, never let that hack near Bond. Ever.

I like him for Sin City and the first two Mariachi pictures. I know it would probably never happen, but hey, I'm just speculating. (Interesting aside, he was originally going to direct The Mask of Zorro, which was ultimately directed by Martin Campbell)

[Harmsway]

I like him for Sin City and the first two Mariachi pictures.

I like the Mariachi trilogy reasonably well. Watchable fun, even though there's nothing particularly fantastic about any of them, and plenty of other directors could have done as well, if not better, than what he did.

But SIN CITY is awful. A mess of horrendous performances, awful dialogue, and cheap CGI masquerading as "style." And don't even get me started on the THE FACULTY, SPY KIDS 1-3, or THE ADVENTURES OF SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL.

[HH007]

I like him for Sin City and the first two Mariachi pictures.

And don't even get me started on the THE FACULTY, SPY KIDS 1-3, or THE ADVENTURES OF SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL.

I'll go with you on those last three, utter garbage they were. Anyway, how about Sam Mendes. He's a versitile, classy director and he's worked with Craig before.

[Harmsway]

Anyway, how about Sam Mendes. He's a versitile, classy director and he's worked with Craig before.

He was suggested earlier in this thread by dinovelvet. And I liked the suggestion a lot (Loomis tended to think he's out of Bond's league, though, which might be true, though I don't perceive Mendes as being that way).

[HH007]

Anyway, how about Sam Mendes. He's a versitile, classy director and he's worked with Craig before.

He was suggested earlier in this thread by dinovelvet.

Whoops, forgot about that. He might very well be out of Bond's league, but I remember reading an article somewhere where he praised Craig's Bond, so he may very well be a possibility. Certainly more so than Sofia Coppola (???).

[DamnCoffee]

Why not Babs? or Mikey G?

[ACE]

Why not Babs? or Mikey G?

Because they're producers, not directors.

MGW tried to direct the anaconda sequence in Moonraker. Read John Glen's biography for Cubby's reaction to the scene.

[DamnCoffee]

I liked the Anaconda Scene. It's not uncommon for a producer to also direct a movie.

[plankattack]

Why not Babs? or Mikey G?

Which is kind of the point. We always say that Bonds are producers' movies rather than director movies, and so the type of director attracted to an established franchise is going to be influenced by the amount of control they have. If they were given the keys to the kingdom, then I'm sure that the likes of Mendes might be interested. But most A-listers tend not to be attracted to franchises because there is sense that they might be creatively constraining.

Edited by plankattack, 30 January 2008 - 07:24 PM.

[Loomis]

Here's one you'll like, Harmsway: Stephen Gaghan. Best known as a screenwriter (RULES OF ENGAGEMENT and TRAFFIC, among others), he recently turned director with SYRIANA, which he also scripted. He's young (early forties) and has even had a brush with Bond - I believe he directed that Eva Green Heineken ad. He strikes me as a bit like Marc Forster meeting Paul Haggis, while being (as I perceive it, at least) slightly less famous and expensive. I'm surprised I didn't think of his name before now.

Now, having said all that, I don't for one moment think Gaghan's a likely choice as such (then again, the hiring of Forster means he's not, erm, unlikely, either ). For one thing, I'm sure he'd want to write any Bond flick he were hired to direct, which might cause friction with Haggis, who appears to be the new Dick Maibaum. And I'm sure he has plenty of projects of his own to get on with.

Also, I suspect that Forster's appointment does not necessarily mean that Eon is about to pick just auteurs or near-auteurs from here on in. I get the feeling that they chose Forster simply because they really liked him and the films he's done, and not chiefly because he's the sort of director who'd posh up their franchise and bring bags of critical acclaim in his wake (although those factors most definitely can't have hurt Forster during the decision process). In other words, instead of saying (as we are on this thread) "Who's our next Marc Forster type?", they're probably saying "Who's the best director for what we have in mind for BOND 23?" (actually, they're probably saying "How do we get Marc back for the next one, or failing Marc Martin Campbell?", but I digress).

[bond 16.05.72]

Worst Potter yet, thats Philosphers Stone or Chamber of secrets surely?

David Yates before getting tied up with Potter Directed a superb BBC T.V drama called State of Play soon to be remade or butchered ( the casting is all wrong) as a US film. Alongside fellow brit Paul Abbott they produced a superb thriller a tense as any season of 24. I think it would be foolish to rule him out, although after helming 2 Potters he may well want to aim higher.

It all depends what Forster does with QOS, if he make the film I'm hoping for topping Royale and making a real classic and gets the box office and critical acclaim with it, we could well see the snobiness towards helming a Bond flicks disappear. As much as I'd like to see Nolan throw his hat into the Bond ring, I think after he's finished with Batman he may well want to get away from the blockbuster work, although isn't he attached to bringing the Prisoner to the big screen? Fernando Meirelles would have been another choice but Jack Ryan looks to have put payed to that, I think he turned down Royale anyway.

Which brings us back to Mathew Vaughn, Stardust didn't really set the world on fire did it? although his Michael Mann style could lend it self well to Bond, when you think of Layer Cake's budget it certainly looks much more. Though he's prepping Thor, so maybe not. Ed Zwick would be an interesting choice, Danny Boyle I'm not sure of maybe, something tells me he might not be right.

Stephen Gaghan is also another good choice, made a great intelligent thriller with Syrianna. Of course maybe Haggis himself. It will be interesting to see who will next hold the megaphone but one things for sure the type of Director who signs on from now on isn't likely to be a hack again , I hope!

Edited by bond 16.05.72, 30 January 2008 - 08:15 PM.