“I think it’s time for somebody else,” were the words Sam Mendes used to end his five-year pairing with the spy franchise. “It was an incredible adventure, I loved every second of it,” he also added.
Mendes was responsible for Skyfall and Spectre, both films receiving critical and box office success, with critics believing he had brought new depth to the franchise.
While Mendes is officially out, it’s not yet clear if Daniel Craig will join him in the back pages of the 007 franchise. Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba are both frontrunners for the possibly renewed position however, Mendes has reminded the public that the decision will be made entirely by the series producer, Barbara Broccoli.
“It’s not a democracy,” he said. “Barbara Broccoli decides who is going to be the next Bond, end of story.”
There’s no news yet of when we’ll see Mendes next, but he said he is looking to work on something fresh, “I’m a storyteller,” he said. “And, at the end of the day, I want to make stories with new characters.”
The Bond franchise currently holds a vacant sign over the director’s chair however, Eon are already searching for the series’ next director and The Night Manager’s Susanne Bier appears as a frontrunner.
If successful, Bier would be the first women to take the reigns of the Bond series and one of few women to ever helm a blockbuster with a $100-million plus budget.
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