902 replies to this topic

[K1Bond007]

You have an Academy Award winning director, an Academy Award winning writer, an Academy Award winning actress, Daniel Craig as Bond, all Brits... yet some people are still complaining??

Wow, seriously... wow.

Welcome to a realistic place where everyone has different opinions. This is the Bond universe too. Maybe half of us here thought Roger Moore was the greatest Bond ever.. and the other half is currently rolling their eyes in total disgust.

You're never going to get 100% consensus on anything here and I don't think I'd like it if we could. That'd be pretty boring.

[RivenWinner]

Folks, this seems to be legitimate information. The news has spread quickly across the Internet, and The Hollywood Reporter is even running the story.

Of course, "in negotiations" is the key term here, but at the very least it seems that these negotiations are real and are taking place (or have taken place).

Official confirmation from MGM and EON would be nice.

[Turn]

I just saw Revolutionary Road recently and enjoyed it and thought about how much I liked Mendes as a director and now this pops up.

I won't hold my breath to find out if this one pans out, but knowing such names are attached to the series brings a new sense of pride to being a fan.

And doesn't discussing this beat the speculation of who is going to do the title song?

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

This is great news. I hope it's true. We could do a lot worse than Mendes. Mendes works with very fine cinematographers, so at least 23 should look good.
I think 23 has to be as good if not better than the past two films. It needs to be Craig's GF or Spy, and not a film that does not live up to the previous two.
With Mendes on board there is some hope it will be a really good film. I like it when Eon surprise me, and don't go for the predictable choices.

[danslittlefinger]

http://www.variety.c...6...yid=13&cs=1

MGM has yet to confirm reports
By DAVE MCNARY

The long-running drama surrounding MGM's future took an odd turn Tuesday with rumors sweeping through the town about Sam Mendes directing next James Bond film.
The beleaguered studio refused to confirm reports about Mendes being in talks for the 23rd Bond pic. MGM also denied other reports that pre-production had been halted after producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli told Total Film magazine that the uncertainty surrounding the Lion's ownership had left the project's timeline "a little up in the air what with the situation at MGM, so we have to be flexible.

- What the heck?

[Solex Agitator]

I am rather pleased with this news. And, if true, I do hope Mr. Mendes is able to fold his wife into this project as well. Kate Winslet would make for a very interesting addition - be it villain, enemy agent, or even Bond girl. The Bond girl template has seen some different seasons of late and I welcome this direction. Let's hope this is solid.

[Joe Bond]

http://www.variety.c...6...yid=13&cs=1

MGM has yet to confirm reports
By DAVE MCNARY

The long-running drama surrounding MGM's future took an odd turn Tuesday with rumors sweeping through the town about Sam Mendes directing next James Bond film.
The beleaguered studio refused to confirm reports about Mendes being in talks for the 23rd Bond pic. MGM also denied other reports that pre-production had been halted after producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli told Total Film magazine that the uncertainty surrounding the Lion's ownership had left the project's timeline "a little up in the air what with the situation at MGM, so we have to be flexible.

- What the heck?

They might not want to confirm until the negotiations are done and Mendes is hired. I don't think EON will confirm either until they have hired Mendes as the director.

[danslittlefinger]

http://www.variety.c...6...yid=13&cs=1

MGM has yet to confirm reports
By DAVE MCNARY

The long-running drama surrounding MGM's future took an odd turn Tuesday with rumors sweeping through the town about Sam Mendes directing next James Bond film.
The beleaguered studio refused to confirm reports about Mendes being in talks for the 23rd Bond pic. MGM also denied other reports that pre-production had been halted after producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli told Total Film magazine that the uncertainty surrounding the Lion's ownership had left the project's timeline "a little up in the air what with the situation at MGM, so we have to be flexible.

- What the heck?

They might not want to confirm until the negotiations are done and Mendes is hired. I don't think EON will confirm either until they have hired Mendes as the director.

I'm thinking more about the denial of a timeline problem.
http://www.examiner....ant-on-new-Bond
"Word is actor Daniel Craig really wanted Mendes to direct after the critical drubbing received by "Quantum of Solace" in 2008. Oscar-nominated scribe Peter Morgan ("Frost/Nixon," "The Queen") is writing the new script with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (also of "Solace" and "Casino Royale")."

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

They might not want to confirm until the negotiations are done and Mendes is hired. I don't think EON will confirm either until they have hired Mendes as the director.

We will get nothing from EON until (and if) Mendes actually signs. That aside I love how this has got the world excited about the new Bond film.

[blueman]

From Campbell to Forster was a great move forward for the franchise, and Mendes seems more in that vein. Cool.

[Joe Bond]

According to this article on MI6.co.uk Mendes is going to be hired as a consultant with an eye to direct since if EON hired him as the director it would force MGM to pay him so in this scenario they won't have to pay him due to MGM's financial issues. Also another interesting tidbit is that Daniel Craig insisted on Mendes after being stung by the criticism of Quantum of Solace.

[danslittlefinger]

According to this article on MI6.co.uk Mendes is going to be hired as a consultant with an eye to direct since if EON hired him as the director it would force MGM to pay him so in this scenario they won't have to pay him due to MGM's financial issues. Also another interesting tidbit is that Daniel Craig insisted on Mendes after being stung by the criticism of Quantum of Solace.

I posted that article earlier on previous page.
http://www.examiner....ant-on-new-Bond

"Word is actor Daniel Craig really wanted Mendes to direct after the critical drubbing received by "Quantum of Solace" in 2008. Oscar-nominated scribe Peter Morgan ("Frost/Nixon," "The Queen") is writing the new script with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (also of "Solace" and "Casino Royale")."

[The Shark]

Said one insider about the choice of Mendes: 'Barbara thinks he's smart, which he is. But you don't need such a fancy director. You need someone who can do an action movie.'

[jamie00007]

If we get any scenes as fantastic as the shootout at the end of Road To Perdition Im sold.

[blueman]

Craig shouldn't listen to critics, QOS was everything it was supposed to be because of Forster. Here's hoping Mendes turns out something half as good, rather than a tepid TWINE retread.

[Tarl_Cabot]

yeah!!

[blueman]

Said one insider about the choice of Mendes: 'Barbara thinks he's smart, which he is. But you don't need such a fancy director. You need someone who can do an action movie.'

Most "action movies" suck, including the actiony parts. No thanks to any more Tamahoris. And Mendes is a far cry from Apted IMO.

[Tim007]

Folks, this seems to be legitimate information. The news has spread quickly across the Internet, and The Hollywood Reporter is even running the story.

Of course, "in negotiations" is the key term here, but at the very least it seems that these negotiations are real and are taking place (or have taken place).

Official confirmation from MGM and EON would be nice.

So you're saying that in the days of the internet a news report that spreads quickly must be a true news report? I could name you at least 1000 examples when such a story turned out to be untrue.

Additionally, I've been around on James Bond fan sites since the year 2000 and know for sure that nothing is for sure as long as we don't get an official confirmation from EON/MGM/Sony.

[SecretAgentFan]

Since Mendes is in favor of building suspense in long takes with exquisite camera composition I would really like to see a Bond film directed by him.

Also, he is fantastic with actors - with his theatre background no wonder, of course.

I just hope that the material (and the script might have been presented to him already in order to elicit his willingness to direct) is lighter than those scripts he has directed in the past.

[Double-Oh Agent]

Can't say that I'm excited about this bit of news. My initial reaction was a negative one as I realized that it would mean another auteur director for the series and we are 0 for 2 in such helmed Bond films following Michael Apted's The World Is Not Enough and Marc Forster's Quantum Of Solace.

Although I liked Road To Perdition, and at the time thought Daniel Craig might make a good henchman in a Bond film, I'm far from sold on Sam Mendes as a Bond director. We need an action/thriller director who is capable of doing drama a la John McTiernan, Philip Noyce, and Wolfgang Petersen rather than another auteur, particularly with Bond 23 likely being a much-needed return to the "fun Bond we all know and love" as well as Craig's Goldfinger or The Spy Who Loved Me.

Regarding my two cents, I hope this news falls through and EON goes another way.

[Orion]

I'm loving that EON seem determined to make the Craig era as high quality as possible with the continuous hiring of acclaimed directors, Campbell directed the most ciritically praised Bond film for years, Forster had Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland on his CV, then Mendez, as a few other film websites have pointed out, is a chamelion director who seems to have thrived with whatever genre has thrown at him.

Do you think this push for acclaimed directors is from Craig or the producers? I only ask as I seem to recall Forster saying on a number of occasions that it was Craig who talked him into doing QOS.

Edited by Orion, 06 January 2010 - 10:16 AM.

[Santa]

Since Mendes is in favor of building suspense in long takes with exquisite camera composition I would really like to see a Bond film directed by him.

What he said.

[Ambler]

Mendes started at the top and worked his way down.

The three films Mendes has directed since Road to Perdition and American Beauty have all failed at the box office and they haven't exactly excited the critics either.

Come on people.

[tim partridge]

Maybe Dennis Gassner might come back if this is true?

[Skudor]

Part of me just wants Campbell back for another safe but good Bond film. But the part of me that loved Quantum of Solace is thrilled at the prospect of another not-so-safe choice for another fresh, not from the mould Bond film.

[Quantumofsolace007]

I have to admit I was half expexting to read "Rumour Denied" when I woke up this morning


I honestly want this to be true and the idea of consultant to director makes sense...



I think Bond 23 with Mendes at the helm will be great.... but i am one of those weird glass half full optamistic guys who has faith in bond 23....

[Odd Jobbies]

http://www.cigarafic...540,261,00.html

"Although he still enjoys the occasional cigar, he says he's thankful Casino Royale forced him to quit his pack-a-day cigarette habit. Rest assured, however, 007 hasn't gone completely politically correct. "The drinking is still there, that sort of 'Dutch courage,'" smiles Craig. "It's funny, but I remember reading Moonraker, and Bond goes out to play cards at a club with the bad guy and he orders from MI6 some Benzedrine, which is basically speed. Bond then mixes that in with Dom Pérignon and that's how he starts the night," Craig marvels. "He then talks about how, during the evening, how jagged he's getting because he didn't get the mix right." Craig laughs in disbelief. "But I absolutely love that, because it plays into the fact that the guy is flawed. He's not perfect. Sometimes he gets things wrong and there are weaknesses in him. And I think those are the kinds of interesting things to put into the movie."

Maybe we might see that flaw in Bond this time around?

Great article. I think Craig has the right approach to Bond.

[DamnCoffee]

God, I'm loving this.

I hope we get confirmation soon!

[Orion]

and thus my favourite stage of Bond film production begins, the hiring of a director that is often followed by rampant tabloid speculation.

[Odd Jobbies]

Fleming's Bond is fundamentally a flawed, often-unlikeable, Bryonic hero, and nothing highlights that more today than smoking a cigarette.

I agree whole-heartedly that Bond should be attracted to social taboos, however, and i can't believe i'm being this sensible, i'd draw the line at smoking, since a lot of young people watch Bond and will inevitably conclude that smoking is cool - it's definitely not.

There're many frowned upon things i'd love to see Bond enjoy, but not one that really could lead hundreds of thousands of people to develop lung cancer.