Right on the heels of finding out that Bond 23 will be delayed pending the resolution of MGM’s financial woes, we now find out that Sam Mendes is attached to the sidetracked film as director.
Wait, Director? Maybe eventually, but it seems that right now he has just been hired on as a consultant.
Deadline Hollywood reports:
I’ve just learned that producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are in final negotiations with CAA for director Sam Mendes to come on as a consultant to the 23rd James Bond film (as yet untitled). That’s right — not as the director, yet.
So while everyone else is already calling this a foregone conclusion, Sam Mendes is not director yet.
He may not ever be.
But Daniel Craig insisted on Mendes being hired after some of the criticism over the last Bond film. And speculation says that once OEN Productions hires a director, it triggers a required payment from MGM. But MGM has no money (or very little), so that means that it could break the deal and OEN Productions would then have the right to take the franchise elsewhere instead of waiting to see who MGM sells it to.
But if this is true, then they are not forcing this hand as of yet.
Time will tell what this move means, and while everyone is quick to name this guy director, it seems that at least one source says that’s not final yet.
Either way, I don’t know that Mendes can do spy action. Sure he can do drama, and there is certainly an element of drama but if he does get the job, we will have to see how he does with Action.
Also, he is married to Kate Winslet… perhaps she will be a Bond girl?
