Pro/Con: How Much Time Is Too Much Time?
Back before
Skyfall hit theaters last year, it was announced that EON and Sony intended to have the next film ready for a
Fall 2014 release. Looking to avoid another long layoff between installments, the producers wanted to get
Bond 24 out quickly for a number of reasons. But with a planned production start date of early 2014, the release will most likely be delayed to 2015 to give the filmmakers enough time to make a great product. Taking lots of time between installments is both a pro and a con. I said in my intro that it was refreshing to see the studio be willing to wait as opposed to rushing out a movie and hurting the brand. Hiring the people you want and giving them creative freedom is a definite plus in the film industry (especially if you're working with a director like Mendes). Taking the necessary time allows a director to carefully craft the right film. You can get the script just right. You have more time to work in post-production. Overall, it helps especially when working on a big budget event film like James Bond. Still, there is the issue of taking too much time between installments.
Skyfall dealt with Bond's advancing age and that plot point made it difficult to hide the fact that Daniel Craig is getting up there as well. The actor will be pushing 50 by the time the
Skyfall followup makes its way to theaters. While he's still in great shape, you have to wonder how much longer he wants to dedicate to playing such a physically demanding role as he gets older. You don't want to have too long a wait between films and have Craig look out of place. Action movies are typically a young man's game. The easiest way to combat this is to fast track
Bond 25, but then you run the risk of having a rushed film.
Bond 25 will be a huge milestone for the series, so I'm sure the studio wants to take their time and make sure they're doing the franchise justice. I'm probably overplaying the severity of the Craig age dilemma, but it's still something to keep in mind as the series progresses. Mendes and the studio executives will have to find a way to get these next two films out quickly, but not
too quickly. It will be interesting to see the release schedule. While it's great to make sure what you're doing is right, you don't want to wait too long.
Are you excited to see Sam Mendes direct the next two Bond films? Would you rather Christopher Nolan or someone else take the helm? Let us know in the comments section below!