Plenty of Candidates to Fill Sam Mendes’s Shoes
By David Pegram
With Sam Mendes now connected with My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, the likelihood of him being “talked into” another Bond film is less likely than ever. And with development of Bond 25 underway, two big questions remain: will Daniel Craig return? And who will direct?
For now, let’s tackle that second question and look at who might come on board to direct Bond 25.
Kathryn Bigelow
The time is right for a woman to direct Bond, and Bigelow’s name often comes up. Even Owen Gleiberman, at Variety, has pushed for Bigelow. Indeed, she knows the action and suspense genres (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty). It also helps that, like Mendes, Bigelow has an Oscar. But unless Bond is returning to the world of Ian Fleming, Bigelow seems like an unlikely choice. Her projects (including her new film, Detroit) traffic in gritty realism.
Guy Ritchie
Ritchie certainly has a track record as a uniquely British director, and his work on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. demonstrated that he knows how to direct a good spy film. However, Ritchie is already attached to Aladdin, and there is little chance of him taking on Bond any time soon. Besides, EON would likely stay away from nabbing the director of a competing spy series.
Matthew Vaughn
Like Ritchie, Vaughn has directed a successful spy film, Kingsman: The Secret Service. And also, like Ritchie, this would likely take him off the board. However, Vaughn directed Daniel Craig in Layer Cake, and Craig could have some considerable influence in terms of who directs Bond 25. Vaughn’s sequel, Kinsgman: The Golden Circle is due out later this year.
David Fincher
Fincher is a dark horse and at first seems like an unlikely choice. After all, Fincher prefers more creative control than EON would be willing to allow. But consider that Fincher is being courted by Brad Pitt to direct World War Z 2, and the idea of Fincher doing Bond becomes less improbable. And as with Matthew Vaughn, Fincher has a track record with Craig, who has already expressed interest in working with Fincher again.
Jonathan Nolan
His older brother Christopher is far more recognizable, but don’t discount Jonathan. Though he is more known for his writing than directing, there is no escaping that his work on Westworld was first-rate. Jonathan has never directed a feature film, and this is a drawback, for sure. But he directed two episodes of Westworld, the first and last of the season, which may give him the bona fides for the job.
Alex Garland
Like Jonathan Nolan, Garland is known mostly as a screenwriter. He made his directorial debut with the critically-acclaimed Ex Machina. Though Ex Machina was science fiction, as is most of Garland’s work, it contained two very Bond-like elements: a psychotic villain (Nathan) and a dark, foreboding lair (Nathan’s estate).
Susanne Bier
If EON wants to go with a woman, Bier might be the right choice. Though her last feature, Serena, received poor reviews, her work on The Night Manager was so Bondian that it propelled star Tom Hiddleston to the top of list of “Who’ll Be the Next Bond.”
Danny Boyle
Boyle is one of England’s national treasures, and he has already directed Bond, in a way–in the 2012 short feature “Happy & Glorious” for the London Olympic Games. Boyle is an Oscar winner and has shown an ability to direct diverse films, from Trainspotting to 127 Days to Steve Jobs. However, Boyle is on record as saying that a Bond film doesn’t interest him.
Christopher Nolan
Given that Nolan has already helmed one successful franchise (Batman), he may not be willing to get involved in another. But Nolan’s name comes up a lot in connection with Bond 25, particularly if Tom Hardy takes over as 007. There is no mistaking that Nolan has an eye for suspense and action, and he may be looking to direct a more conventional blockbuster after the World War II epic Dunkirk, due out later this year.
Denis Villeneuve
With Sicario and Arrival now under his belt (and Blade Runner 2049 due out later this year), Villeneuve has proven that he can take on big projects. He has also worked extensively with Skyfall director of photography, Roger Deakins. But most of all, Villeneuve wants to do it. With Blade Runner 2049 now in the can, Villeneuve’s schedule is wide open.