While it's still up in the air whether Daniel Craig will have another martini as James Bond, there will definitely be a change behind the camera. Sam Mendes has directed two straight Bond films, the $1B-grossing Skyfall and less successful sequel, Spectre, which he agreed to after some arm twisting, but he now tells the Associated Press it's time for someone else to take over.
"It was an incredible adventure, I loved every second of it. But I think it's time for somebody else."
The American Beauty and Away We Go director was an odd choice for the action franchise right from the beginning, but that actually helped him in the long run. He says the next director should come from an "unexpected direction", citing his theatre background as an example.
"I'm a storyteller. And at the end of the day, I want to make stories with new characters."
But with a new director will there also be a new Bond? Craig worked with Martin Campbell and Marc Forster before Mendes took over, so to assume he won't stick around for a new filmmaker is a little silly. That said, rumors Tom Hiddleston, Jamie Bell, or Idris Elba will take over continue to swirl. Elba and Hiddleston seem to be the fanboy choices, but Mendes says fans will have no impact on the final decision made by producer Barbara Broccoli...
"It's not a democracy ... Barbara Broccoli decides who is going to be the next Bond, end of story."
A big part of Craig's decision to stay will depend on who the next director will be, so don't be surprised if Broccoli gets that nailed down first.
