10 Ways That Bond 25 Can Improve On SPECTRE
1. A Distinctive Director
Martin Campbell is a solid filmmaker who did an incredible job reinventing James Bond for a second time with Casino Royale. But with Sam Mendes, and to some extent Marc Forster, the production team elevated the Bond films by hiring auteurs who could work in cooperation with an established formula and create something distinctive that never feels stale. Even if for some people they don't quite work, they're never boring.
Bond 25 has to continue that tradition, and bring in a creative voice who has something new to say about cinema's favourite spy but happy to be part of a team and be willing to compromise. It's another way to ensure a Bond film is an avent, and not something to take for granted like an episode of a TV show.
The one problem if Daniel Craig is confirmed to return is that Sam Mendes won't be. Their working relationship was perhaps the most important reason for the two most successful Bond films of the series- Daniel Craig was a co-producer on SPECTRE, and out of all 6 actors to portray Bond, he has been the most involved in crafting the film and the story. For Bond 25 to really work, a director needs to be found who can really develop a great relationship with Craig and most importantly, treat him as an equal partner in the creative process.
But who could it be? If Craig has his way, which fortunately is very likely, it will be a director he's worked with before- this could be anyone from Matthew Vaughn to Shekhar Kapur, Edward Zwick to Oliver Hirschbeigel, or Steven Soderbergh to Steven Spielberg. But names like Kathryn Bigelow and Morten Tyldum have been mentioned in the past, and either one would be an excellent choice- especially a Morten Tyldum in a Headhunters mindset rather than an Imitation Game mindset. More popular choices like Nicolas Winding Refn or Danny Boyle are unlikely to transpire.
The dream choice? Christopher Nolan! But whoever Craig and the producers choose will be someone we can all trust.
What would you do to guarantee that Bond 25 improves on Skyfall? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread.