Aside from an admittedly rather convincing hoax trailer, word on the next James Bond film has been rather muted since Sam Mendes was confirmed to return to the director’s chair last July. Mendes was not originally intending to return but since changed his mind, and now he’s spoken out about why he decided to helm a follow-up to 2012’s SKYFALL.
Speaking to US chat show host Charlie Rose, Mendes said it was primarily a matter of unfinished business:
‘I started a number of stories that were incomplete. I cast a new M, I cast a new Moneypenny, I cast a new Q, I cast a new Tanner. I felt like there was a way to create the second part of a two-part story. And then I started to get re-interested again when they agreed to wait a little longer, and not go immediately and not go with two movies but with one, which I felt very strongly about.’
Mendes also confirmed that while BOND 24 won’t be a direct continuation of SKYFALL in the way that QUANTUM OF SOLACE followed straight on from CASINO ROYALE, many of the themes from Daniel Craig’s third outing as the internationally renowned spy will carry over – many of which he brought anew to the franchise:
‘What we tried to do, and what audiences seemed to embrace in SKYFALL, was for the first time, characters were allowed to age, and they were allowed to acknowledge the passing of the years, and could acknowledge the history in a kind of sly, mischievous way.’
SKYFALL proved to be a real rejuvenation of the franchise, so it’s with great anticipation that we await Mendes’ next James Bond instalment, which is as yet untitled. It will open in the UK on 23rd October, 2015, starring Daniel Craig.
Source: PBS
