612 replies to this topic

[Odd Jobbies]

Spielberg also only works for a huge part of the back end profits - which EON would not allow and rightly so.  It´s their franchise.

I think Spielberg has thoroughly earned his share of back end profit. Usually thats because his name alone fills cinema seats, as well as it being a guarantee of a film worth seeing (even his duds qualify for that i believe).

 

For Spielberg not to get a good portion of the profits of a movie he's made is, perhaps as unfair as an exhibitor/art dealer claiming the greater part of the sale price of an artist's painting. It's sadly the way of things that the talented are exploited wholesale, but the likes of Spielberg have clawed back that power with their talent, hard work and a little luck.

 

I concede that Bond is an odd fish in this sense, as it is undoubtably Eon's baby and that is why 'name above the movie title' directors of which Spielberg is probably numero uno will never make a Bond movie. But lets face it, ticket sales on Craig's Bonds may be spectacular, but if Spielberg directed one, then no matter it's quality, or critical reception, i'm guessing it's ticket sales would dwarf all that came before.

 

If for no other reason (although there are many) i think that all and sundry would flock to his Bond movie out of shear curiosity to see the great Spielberg's Bond. If that were the case - that Spielberg's name had enticed many new, old and curious into the cinema, then surely it's fare that he get a share of the profits he'd created - his usual back end deal.

 

I'm not saying i want a Spielberg Bond movie at this point in time (although back in his prime, in the 70s/80s  he'd have nailed it for sure), but i'd relish the prospect of seeing what he does with it - who wouldn't?

 

Tbh i imagine Eon feel the same way about the justification of Spielberg's back end profit and would not insult him by inviting him to direct without that. But that choice is an economic one, not artistic - they want all the cash themselves and that's a shame. There are many other name-above-the-title directors in their prime whom i love to see direct Bond, but won't because Eon do not like to share the profits.

[tdalton]

Why Steven Spielberg will never direct a James Bond movie

[Matt_13]

Craig expressed an interest in working with Martin Mcdonagh, the director of In Bruges. I'd be good with that.

[Odd Jobbies]

Craig expressed an interest in working with Martin Mcdonagh, the director of In Bruges. I'd be good with that.

He's an interesting filmmaker, but probably won't be doing Bond any time soon. His first love is writing and directs as a way of protecting his scripts. So i imagine he wouldn't be interested in directing something he didn't write. I'd love to see him shoot his own Bond script, but he'd fight Eon on absolutely everything.

 

The production company he made Bruges with, Film Focus, he called scumbags for wanting to change everything they possibly could, so there'd be fireworks in the boardroom if he were to work with renowned control freaks Eon.

 

More's the pity, but it just won't happen unless he chills out a little... and who wants that? I don't - keep keeping it real, Martin

[SecretAgentFan]

Having finally seen SICARIO - which, by the way, is another master class of Roger Deakins´ cinematography genius - I do think that Denis Villeneuve should be on the short list for any future Bond film.

 

SICARIO is such a stellar achievement - I can only hope that EON will let him loose with a Bond film.

[RMc2]

I haven't read over every post in the thread, so my apologies if this has been raised and dismissed before, but what about Spielberg? His craftsmanship is beyond debate and he's wanted to direct a Bond film for decades. One possible objection is that his last Indiana Jones film was rather bad, but few directors could have overcome such a script. A second objection is that Broccoli and Wilson would be loathe to have a big-name director take on Bond, but hasn't that already happened with Mendes? And while Spielberg's decisions as a director would certainly have to be accepted, at other levels, such as scripting, he's less likely to dominate the production (no more than Mendes anyway).

 

I'm not sure Mendes counts as a 'big name' director. His films are rarely marketed as a 'Sam Mendes' film.

 

I get what you mean though. He's easily the biggest or most (independently, artistically) established name they've had.

[Odd Jobbies]

Having finally seen SICARIO - which, by the way, is another master class of Roger Deakins´ cinematography genius - I do think that Denis Villeneuve should be on the short list for any future Bond film.

 

SICARIO is such a stellar achievement - I can only hope that EON will let him loose with a Bond film.

Absolutely!  I'd say it's a shame he's too busy, but since he's busy on a Blade Runner sequel it's no shame at all. Can't wait to see where he takes it.

 

Also, i haven't seen The Revenant, but i the photography must be truly amazing to have beaten Deakins' superb work on Sicario

[Pierceuhhh]

Spielberg is completely wrong for Bond. Bond movies are very detached and "British". Spielberg's movies are full of forced jokes - which have REALLY stopped being funny probably since Jurassic Park. He's good at scrappy, messy adventure and chaos. Or used to be. He's TERRIBLE at romance and playful sex. He has NO interest in women or smut or cheekiness. That's a NO vote from me!

Put it this way: Lewis Gilbert could make a functional, funny Indiana Jones movie. Spielberg could never make The Spy Who Loved Me.

[tdalton]

Spielberg has already stated that he won't be directing a Bond film ("they can't afford me"), so he isn't and won't be a candidate to direct Bond 25, or any future Bond film after that.  

[Odd Jobbies]

Spielberg is completely wrong for Bond. Bond movies are very detached and "British". Spielberg's movies are full of forced jokes - which have REALLY stopped being funny probably since Jurassic Park. He's good at scrappy, messy adventure and chaos. Or used to be. He's TERRIBLE at romance and playful sex. He has NO interest in women or smut or cheekiness. That's a NO vote from me!

Put it this way: Lewis Gilbert could make a functional, funny Indiana Jones movie. Spielberg could never make The Spy Who Loved Me.

Well that's horse crap!  In prime Spielberg could've directed TSWLM blindfolded with his arms and legs gaffer taped together.

[SecretAgentFan]

TSWLM always struck me as a movie that is very Spielbergian in the way it is structured and filmed.  Imagine a John Williams score behind it.

[Dustin]

Well, at one time Spielberg evidently was at least tempted to try his hand on Bond - though it seems there was no real chance for him. That's what gave us Indiana Jones, thankfully, but personally I would have liked to see his Bond, too. Although it's everybody's guess whether that would really have been satisfying. For a certain era, late 70s to early 90s perhaps, he might have been a definite improvement.

[Grard Bond]

John Glen is not the best director in the world. Spielberg would have been a better choice to do A view to a kill. I think somehow it would have been a better movie.

Edited by Grard Bond, 10 March 2016 - 10:41 AM.

[JohnnyWalker]

 

Craig expressed an interest in working with Martin Mcdonagh, the director of In Bruges. I'd be good with that.

He's an interesting filmmaker, but probably won't be doing Bond any time soon. His first love is writing and directs as a way of protecting his scripts. So i imagine he wouldn't be interested in directing something he didn't write. I'd love to see him shoot his own Bond script, but he'd fight Eon on absolutely everything.

 

The production company he made Bruges with, Film Focus, he called scumbags for wanting to change everything they possibly could, so there'd be fireworks in the boardroom if he were to work with renowned control freaks Eon.

 

More's the pity, but it just won't happen unless he chills out a little... and who wants that? I don't - keep keeping it real, Martin

 

I think his brother John Michaell McDonagh is actually a better choice.

[Odd Jobbies]

 

 

Craig expressed an interest in working with Martin Mcdonagh, the director of In Bruges. I'd be good with that.

He's an interesting filmmaker, but probably won't be doing Bond any time soon. His first love is writing and directs as a way of protecting his scripts. So i imagine he wouldn't be interested in directing something he didn't write. I'd love to see him shoot his own Bond script, but he'd fight Eon on absolutely everything.

 

The production company he made Bruges with, Film Focus, he called scumbags for wanting to change everything they possibly could, so there'd be fireworks in the boardroom if he were to work with renowned control freaks Eon.

 

More's the pity, but it just won't happen unless he chills out a little... and who wants that? I don't - keep keeping it real, Martin

 

I think his brother John Michaell McDonagh is actually a better choice.

 

He's a fine filmmaker. The Guard was great and Calvary was also compelling, if relentlessly depressing. His next movie is Mexico set, taking him out of his Irish comfort zone. Hopefully that'll see him grow as a filmmaker and if so he'd certainly be worth considering in the future.

 

Obviously he's got to show an interest in orchestrating action on a large scale first though; i'm hoping the days are past of the two-director approach to Bond - one for the acting and one for the action.

 

Take a look at the behind the scenes stuff from Mad Max, there's a nice part with Tom Hardy explaining why action and acting are the same thing and both need real direction rather than a glorified stunt choreographer.

[JohnnyWalker]

He's a fine filmmaker. The Guard was great and Calvary was also compelling, if relentlessly depressing. His next movie is Mexico set, taking him out of his Irish comfort zone. Hopefully that'll see him grow as a filmmaker and if so he'd certainly be worth considering in the future.

I just looked up his new movie War On Everyone, he's clearly on a roll and could maybe do great things with a Bond movie.

[JohnnyWalker]

Maybe Susanne Bier deserves a shot (and this is not an endorsement for Tom Hiddleston as Bond).

[Orion]

http://variety.com/2...ool-1201768389/

 

Paul McGuigan could be possible if this film him and Broccoli enjoy working together enough on this. I like McGuigan as a director luck number Slevin is a joy to behold, I found push to be underrated and Sherlock (for which McGuigan has directed 4 episodes) is the easily my favourite tv series currently on (replete with loving Bond references as it is)

 

He would also fit the mood of director EON prefer of comfortable with a producer led approach but still able to infuse his own voice into the final film.

[Odd Jobbies]

I found this quote from Shane Black about his experience working with Marvel. I think shows how well he can fit in with a juggernaut such as Bond/Eon, while, as the evidence of Iron Man 3 show IMO, not sacrifising those individual qualities that make him a great writer/director:

 

 

 

Joss Whedon came to me when I was kind of freaking out about all the moving parts and said, ‘Just trust the machine. [Marvel Studios President Kevin] Feige is good at what he does. Do your part, work hard, but you don’t have to control every moving part. These guys are good. They’ll show you how to do this.’ And from that point on, I just opened my ears and had a tremendous experience learning how movies function at that level. I trusted the machine, and I still think Marvel is the one doing it right. I think they’re great over there.

 

He's currently writing/directing The Predator (he wrote the original, so i'm predicting this will be a massive return to form for the franchise) and he's slated to then do the comic-book adaptation of Doc Savage, which i know little about, but it's something Black's wanted to do for decades and now has the clout.

 

Both of these are big budget, action-movie tentpole productions after which (assuming they don't suck which when Black is writing/directing is highly unlikely IMO) he'll then have the skill set to helm a Bond movie, with the added bonus of creating a great script with peerless dialogue that Eon have yet to enjoy from a director).

 

With the mooted 3-4 year Bond-cycle he could just about do the next Bond, assuming the 'is Craig still Bond' debate and the studio business pushes it to 4 years. But he should certainly be one of to top 2 directors on Eons' wish list for B26 (the other of course being Nolan - love him or hate him Nolan is an inevitability...i'm a fan).

[S K Y F A L L]

I'm looking forward to another Predator film. I don't like the title though, seems lazy IMO. 

[Odd Jobbies]

I'm looking forward to another Predator film. I don't like the title though, seems lazy IMO. 

I'm guessing the title is Black's signal to us that he's bringing back the basics that made his original Predator such an entertaining movie.

[Odd Jobbies]

If not a post-Dunkirk Nolan, then how about Alejandro González Iñárritu? Birdman  and Revenant  are both stunningly innovative, creative, succesful movies and he'd definately bring something new and interesting to the table. Alas he's probably unlikely to be interested, though.

 

Alfonso Cuaron did amazing work with Children of Men  and proved he can also knock a mainstream blockbuster out of the park with Gravity.

 

I want Nolan to take Bond under his (Bat)wing - also i'd love to see how much crowd pleasing fun Shane Black would have with Bond, but the 2 hot-propety Mexican filmmakers above would make me pretty happy. Far happier than a director-for-hire giving us a by-the-numbers affair.

[S K Y F A L L]

I know nobody wants to here it but how about Bryan Singer? 

[SecretAgentFan]

If not a post-Dunkirk Nolan, then how about Alejandro González Iñárritu? Birdman  and Revenant  are both stunningly innovative, creative, succesful movies and he'd definately bring something new and interesting to the table. Alas he's probably unlikely to be interested, though.

 

Alfonso Cuaron did amazing work with Children of Men  and proved he can also knock a mainstream blockbuster out of the park with Gravity.

 

I want Nolan to take Bond under his (Bat)wing - also i'd love to see how much crowd pleasing fun Shane Black would have with Bond, but the 2 hot-propety Mexican filmmakers above would make me pretty happy. Far happier than a director-for-hire giving us a by-the-numbers affair.

 

No to Singer (too operatic for my taste, not inspired for too many years now), and no to Iñárritu (one-trick pony, not interested in a well-constructed narrative, no sense of humour).

 

Cuaron - yes, he would be interesting.

 

Nolan - again, where´s the lighter touch?  Too leaden and "look how cool and dark my pessimistic worldview is".

 

 

The important thing is to get one director who really loves Bond and who does not want to enforce his own obsessions onto the series.  Someone who can do action, thriller, comedy and has a sense for adventure.

[S K Y F A L L]

No to Singer (too operatic for my taste, not inspired for too many years now),

 

 

 

I haven't thought about it like that, he really has just been riding the success of his early work. Oh boy I forgot about Superman Returns, lol.

[Odd Jobbies]

 

No to Singer (too operatic for my taste, not inspired for too many years now),

I haven't thought about it like that, he really has just been riding the success of his early work. Oh boy I forgot about Superman Returns, lol.

 

It's hard to fathom how the genius behind The Usual Suspects (he can do Bond anytime) has become the guy churning out these Shumacker-esque X-Men pantos (he goes nowhere near Bond!).

[Odd Jobbies]

...Eon should aim even higher and stretch further the artistic freedom they grant such talent, eg. [George] Miller,  Refn , Nolan.

 

Looks like i'm not crazy after all....

 

 

...Before Sam Mendes agreed to direct the most recent Bond film Spectre, Refn was one of a few filmmakers approached by Eon Productions to take the reins...

http://www.telegraph...d-meet-nicolas/

 

 

Refn explained he was also offered the director’s chair on Spectre, but turned it down on similar lines — instead seeking the freedom to follow his own instincts and have full control over his filmmaking:

“I just know this way I can do whatever I want, and that outweighs any money anyone can give me.”

Directing duties on Spectre instead went to Skyfall director Sam Mendes, but failed to repeat that film’s massive box office take and earned mixed reviews from critics.

http://screenrant.co...tre-james-bond/

 

Perhaps after having the exciting prospect [as an actor] of having Refn direct him, Craig was left a little disappointed when Refn declined and artistically speaking who can blame Craig?   No disrespect to Mendes, but as an actor i can imagine the shear visceral challenge of being in a Refn movie seeming like a once in a lifetime opportunity - not unlike the attraction of being directed by David Lynch, or Kubrick in their iconoclastic uniqueness.

 

Anyhow, i'm very impressed with BB's scope, taste and courage in offering Spectre to Refn. IMO this confirms that the days of jobbing directors helming Bond are over if she's willing to gamble on Refn (though whether she can attract such directors of course depends greatly upon who is playing Bond). I'm now very excited about where she'll go for B25. 

 

 

On a side note, Refn is currently writing his own spy movie along with P&W. I wouldn't be surprised if one of his past collaborators, Hardy, Goslin, or Mads Mikkelsen ends up being the lead. If offered both i wonder which Hardy would pick - Refn or Eon, a tough decision.

[SecretAgentFan]

I know tons of actors who would NOT want Refn as a director because he is anything but easy to work with.

 

Of course, they would always gush about him in interviews - as you are supposed to.  But after "The Neon Demon" he has completely lost the momentum "Drive" gave him.

 

Not a team player, and another one-trick pony.  And millions of miles away from a true genius like David Lynch.  Whom I nevertheless would never want to direct a Bond film, nor would he want to.

[Odd Jobbies]

Well BB certainly likes Refn because she offered him Spectre.

[SecretAgentFan]

According to a very unreliable source.

 

In fact, EON offered the film to Mendes who wanted more time for his theatre projects, and DC wanted Mendes to return - as did MGM and SONY.

 

Has EON met with other directors?  Sure, just like they meet actors.  Did they meet Refn?  Probably.  But that´s it.