Sam Mendes (left, with Daniel Craig) directed "Skyfall," the most recent and successful James Bond film to date. However, earlier this week, he announced he's not returning to the franchise, leaving fans to speculate who will take over directing duties for the next film.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Earlier this week, Sam Mendes announced he won't be returning to direct the 24th James Bond feature. Who will be the next director? We don't know yet, but here are a few suggestions.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Earlier this year, film geeks played the game of guessing who would be the director of "Star Wars VII." Now, we get to play the game all over again. Sadly, earlier this week, Sam Mendes officially announced he will not be returning to direct the as-yet untitled 24th James Bond feature.
Who will be the next director? We don't know yet. Here are a few suggestions, though:
Ben Affleck
With "Gone Baby Gone," Affleck proved he could direct a very fine drama, and with "The Town," he added action sequences to his resume. "Argo" was a combination of both.
He also seems up for directing big franchises. He was recently involved in talks to direct a Justice League movie, and he was the runner up (behind J.J. Abrams) to direct "Star Wars VII."
And, admittedly, it'd be pretty cool to have a guy who's married to someone who went to my high school directing a Bond movie.
Martin Campbell
No stranger to the Bond universe, Campbell directed two of the series' best: 1995's "Goldeneye" and 2006's "Casino Royale." It may be a good career move for him, too; his last movie was the disastrous "Green Lantern."
Rupert Wyatt
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Earlier this year, film geeks played the game of guessing who would be the director of "Star Wars VII." Now, we get to play the game all over again. Sadly, earlier this week, Sam Mendes officially announced he will not be returning to direct the as-yet untitled 24th James Bond feature.
Who will be the next director? We don't know yet. Here are a few suggestions, though:
Ben Affleck
With "Gone Baby Gone," Affleck proved he could direct a very fine drama, and with "The Town," he added action sequences to his resume. "Argo" was a combination of both.
He also seems up for directing big franchises. He was recently involved in talks to direct a Justice League movie, and he was the runner up (behind J.J. Abrams) to direct "Star Wars VII."
And, admittedly, it'd be pretty cool to have a guy who's married to someone who went to my high school directing a Bond movie.
Martin Campbell
No stranger to the Bond universe, Campbell directed two of the series' best: 1995's "Goldeneye" and 2006's "Casino Royale." It may be a good career move for him, too; his last movie was the disastrous "Green Lantern."
Rupert Wyatt
In 2011, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" surprised us all by being better, and doing better, than anyone actually thought it would. Its director, Rupert Wyatt, has the eye for combining action and story, making the emotions amidst the hectic fighting believable.
Gareth Evans
His previous feature, "The Raid: Redemption," was one of the best action movies of 2012. It had some of the best-filmed hand-to-hand combat, which shows he could easily tackle Bond. I don't think he's up for Bond 24, though, as he's busy until at least mid-2014.
Christopher Nolan
I don't see this happening. It's more likely that if Nolan were to direct Bond, it would be when Craig steps out of the role and a new actor becomes 007.
However, if he really wanted the job, Nolan would easily get it. The ski scene in "Inception" shows his love for the Bond series, referencing "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Nolan also has shown his love for Bond in the past.
Me
I'm just throwing it out there. I'd be cheaper to hire, and I think I could pull it off. Why not, EON Productions? Give me, a high-schooler, the reigns to a multi-billion dollar franchise.
Whoever becomes the next director of the franchise must remember that the key to the perfect Bond film is a combination of stylish action, suspense and drama. Sam Mendes set the bar pretty high, but I'm one to hope the next director may outshine "Skyfall."
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