Bond 25: 8 Potential Directors (And Where They Should Take The Series Next)

Paul Thomas Anderson is undeniably one of the most interesting filmmakers working today, having directed a massively varied number of films over the years, from the paranoid, Adam Sandler-driven Punch-Drunk Love to the gritty, oil-stained There Will Be Blood.

Anderson has shown off a multitude of talents across his filmography: he displayed a knack for comedy and mystery in Inherent Vice, showed how powerfully he can explore character in The Master and proved his ability to handle huge, sprawling and multi-faceted stories with Magnolia.

Casino Royale is unique in that it attempted to delve into the character of Bond much more than ever before, and the same occurred in Skyfall. But these films merely scratched the surface. Humanising Bond is a great idea, and a Bond movie directed by Paul Thomas Anderson could explore the character in ways never seen before. Few working directors portray characters as intimately as Anderson, but he's also got the chops to handle a complex spy narrative. Sure, it's nice to see Bond as an enigma, but if the series wants to escape its current rut then trying something new wouldn't be the worst idea.