Originally published May 2, 2017. Updated November 23, 2019.
According to rumours, Eon Productions may have identitied Sam Mendes’ successor for Bond 25, with Paul McGuigan said to be in consideration for the coveted position.
“Word is, the producers are so pleased with Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, directed by Scotsman Paul McGuigan (Sherlock, Lucky Number Slevin,” Victor Frankenstein), that he too is under consideration,” reports Indiewire. “Barbara Broccoli has long preferred to hire directors with arthouse cred over mainstream action specialists, from Oscar-winning American Beauty director Sam Mendes (Spectre and Skyfall) to Monster’s Ball director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace). Based on his tenure with the BBC One Sherlock series, and his handling of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Holmes and Watson, McGuigan would be a prime choice for a quirkier yet still compelling spin on Bond.”
Take all of this with a huge grain of salt. As one should with any rumor that starts with : “Word is…”. Whose word? Who knows.
The 25th entry in the James Bond franchise has been steeped in mystery for a while now. Ever since 2015’s Spectre, the next step for the franchise has been up in the air. A lot of this is due to the lukewarm reception audiences had to Spectre: MGM, and Eon Productions (co-owners of the Bond franchise) made a grand push for a return to the more classic-era of Bond, which was subtly hinted at in Skyfall (remember the applause you heard in the theater when the classic Aston Martin was unveiled towards the end?), but they seemed to go overboard with this idea in Spectre.
The film’s more classic blueprint seemed at odds with Craig’s modern approach to the character; at times the actor looked like he was in the wrong movie entirely. This leads into the next reason the future of the franchise is unclear: Craig himself. Daniel Craig famously stated that he would rather “slit his wrists” than star in another James Bond film. Now, it seems that his stance may have changed since then, but we don’t know for sure. However, it seems that things are materializing around him. With directors being rumored, studios in bidding wars, and Jeffrey Wright teasing his return, it feels like it won’t be long before we hear yay, or nay from Daniel Craig.
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