Remember that little film that came out ten years ago? American Beauty? It snagged Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. That director, Sam Mendes, has directed high quality Oscar contenders in the decade following that: Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Revolutionary Road are just a few of the director’s lengthy filmography. But can he bring the same Oscar charm to James Bond?
Looks like he’ll have a chance to. The 44-year-old moviemaker, who is married to actress Kate Winslet, was reported by Heatvision Blog to be the director for the forthcoming follow-up to Quantum of Solace, replacing the previous director, Marc Forster. Bond 23, as it is tentatively titled, is set for release in 2011. Here’s the original news post:
It’s Mendes. Sam Mendes.
The British helmer is in negotiations to direct the 23rd installment of the venerable James Bond franchise.
Production is being fast-tracked and could begin as early as June with an eye toward a 2011 release. Plans for the film are moving forward despite a possible sale of MGM. Sony co-produced and distributed the most recent installment of the 007 series with MGM.
Bond regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are writing, along with “Frost/Nixon” scribe Peter Morgan. Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are producing. Daniel Craig will reprise his role as 007.
The film will be Mendes’ first action-heavy project, although his 2005 effort “Jarhead” was set amid U.S. war in Kuwait. Mendes’ last directorial effort, the road-trip dramedy “Away We Go,” grossed $10 million domestically last summer.
Marc Forster directed the previous Bond film, 2008’s “Quantum of Solace,” which grossed $586 million worldwide.
Sam McPherson got his start blogging for Lostpedia, a job which he still maintains. He also writes for TVOvermind. His favorite films are Fight Club and Donnie Darko, though he has a greatly varied interest in films of all genres.
