He may not have an action film bone in his body but Sam Mendes has been given the chance to direct the next Bond film. And the film's production has been speeded up to start as early as June.We were worried after the producers of the James Bond franchise announced they had put the next instalment on hold until the MGM studio sale is complete but now things seem right back on track.
Mendes directed American Beauty and Away We Go and although the closest he's come to an action film was the war film Jarhead, which didn't actually involve much war, he has been hailed as versatile enough to take on the legendary spy movie.
He may not have an action film bone in his body but Sam Mendes has been given the chance to direct the next Bond film. And the film's production has been speeded up to start as early as June.We were worried after the producers of the James Bond franchise announced they had put the next instalment on hold until the MGM studio sale is complete but now things seem right back on track.
Mendes directed American Beauty and Away We Go and although the closest he's come to an action film was the war film Jarhead, which didn't actually involve much war, he has been hailed as versatile enough to take on the legendary spy movie.
But don't fear it's not an entirely new team working on the film, the core remains the same with just an additional Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) working on the script and Sam Mendes as newbies.
Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, both of whom were behind the writing for Martin Campbell's Casino Royale and Marc Forster's Quantum of Solace, are penning the script still and of course Daniel Craig will reprise his role as 007.
This could be Sam's time to shine in the action genre , with a 2011 release date expected Bond could be back sooner than imagined. We can't wait to see what the new director brings to our screens - just remember the fast-paced chases and cool gadgets Mr Mendes!