Mendes Has Campbell's Support For Bond 23

While we all wait to see how MGM's financial situation is resolved, two-times Bond director Martin Campbell recently gave Sam Mendes his backing as possible director of Bond 23.

In an interview given to the UK's 'Time Out' London listings magazine, designed to promote his latest film 'Edge of Darkness', the director of 'Goldeneye' and 'Casino Royale' responded to a question about Sam Mendes being in the frame to helm Bond 23: 'Sam will do a splendid job. I felt Quantum of Solace completely lost its way. We were lucky on Casino Royale, it was the origin story of Bond. Bond had the one and only affair that meant anything to him, and affected him throughout the rest of the series. I had sympathy for the writers after that because clearly the guy can't have another meaningful relationship, he's been fucked over by the last one. But you've got to do something with the character, he's got to go somewhere. I'm sure Sam and Peter Morgan will come up with something'.

Campbell, in characteristically blunt fashion, also commented: 'The secret to Bond is to remember it's Bond. It's been successful for 22 incarnations. There are a lot of elements that work, so don't fuck with them'.

Mendes Remains Cautious

The news that Sam Mendes, the Oscar-winning director of 'American Beauty' and 'Revolutionary Road', was a possible contender for either a 'consultancy' role or as full director of the next EON 007 movie broke shortly after the New Year holiday. His British publicist, Sara Keene, responding to the speculation, stated to the press on 6th January: 'I can confirm that he has had a meeting, but Sam has lots of projects on the table that he might direct next'. Some reports claimed that Daniel Craig, who was in the Mendes film 'Road to Perdition' in 2002, may have been lobbying to have Mendes considered as the director of Bond 23, given Craig's private unease at some of the critical reaction to 'Quantum of Solace'.

However, when asked by the 'Wall Street Journal' on 15th January whether it was true that he might be directing Craig's third outing as James Bond, Mendes was notably cautious and merely commented: 'It's only speculation and, you know, at the moment there isn't even a studio to make the James Bond movie, because MGM is for sale'.

Campbell Reflects On 'Goldeneye' and 'Casino'

In another 'Edge of Darkness' tie-in interview given to the UK's 'Guardian' newspaper recently, Martin Campbell offered some further reflections on his own time as a Bond director. Questioned about the spectacular success of his two Bond films, both of which were seen as revitalising the series, Campbell responded: 'To be honest, I get too much credit for that. Timing was more important on both movies. With Goldeneye, the franchise got locked into this legal fight. They couldn't make new Bond movies for about seven years. It was my my first huge production. I figued if I did at least a yeoman-like job, it would be greeted as a complete revival of the series'.

Campbell also revealed: 'The producers felt it had gone off the rails a bit after Die Another Day, with invisible cars and all that. I told them, we have to go back to the books. We even discussed doing it as a period piece. We settled on a more fucked-up character with a dark streak in him, drinking too much, dodgy liver - all that's in the book. In Casino, he also had a real relationship with a woman. He doesn't just have a dozen for King and Country'.

The critical response to 'Edge of Darkness' in the UK has been mixed, but the Mel Gibson movie is doing respectable business at the UK's Box Office. Campbell's next project is 'The Green Lantern', a film based on the 'Green Lantern' comic series, which he is very much looking forward to.