Sam Mendes speaks about Skyfall and Bond 24

Sam Mendes attended an event at Windsor Castle on Tuesday night organised by Films Without Borders, in which he spoke about how the Olympics changed his approach to editing Skyfall, as well as Bond 24.

Interviewed by Films Without Borders supporter Prince Edward, Mendes spoke about his first experience of Bond in Live And Let Die, and how the release of a new Bond film feels like a special event. He also spoke of watching Mo Farah race at the Olympics and being inspired by the 80,000 people all rooting for one person, and a feeling in London that affected his cut of Skyfall.

Regarding the Bond 24 script, he said that he was “hammering it out now. It’s grueling but it’s fun”; recent reports suggests long term Bond scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have been brought in to fix John Logan’s script.

He also reportedly says he agreed to the follow up to Skyfall as soon as Daniel Craig confirmed his involvement, although that doesn’t tally with what happened at all.

Initially Mendes turned down Bond 24 and he is on record numerous times as saying he had done everything he could do with Bond and had nothing to add. Mendes signed for Bond 24 after the producers courted him heavily and, eventually, agreed to delay filming by a year to fit in with his schedule.

Also on Skyfall, he spoke of taking Bond out of a “bubble of timelessness” and “people aged and were getting old and dying”.

The problem with the Daniel Craig era films is we’ve gone from re-boot to an agent who is almost past it in three films and so far there has really been a “regular” Bond films. Will Bond 24 be that? Unlikely if Mendes has his way.

Also, it begs the question, what happens when Daniel Craig retires from the role. Craig has one more film in him, maybe two at max; with Daniel Craig arc I can only see another reboot and that can only lead to direct comparisons with Casino Royale.

Also, everything seems to be re-booted these days and while it once seemed a fresh approach to long running (and not so long running) franchises it now feels a little long in the tooth and stale.

Source: Screen Daily