Bad news 007 fans, Christopher Nolan confirms that he definitely won't be directing the 25th James Bond movie.
Daniel Craig will be back for his fifth (and rumored final) spin in an Aston Martin as the suave spy made famous by Ian Fleming's Bond books. However, while Craig is returning, talent like Christoph Waltz won't be back and neither will director Sam Mendes. Martin Campbell gave Bond a gritty reboot in 2006's Casino Royale, while Mendes has helmed the series since Skyfall as one of only two directors to tackle two 007 movies in a row. With Spectre underperforming at the domestic box office, Mendes confirmed it would be his final Bond movie, which has now left the search for some new blood wide open.
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Several big names were tipped to pick up where Spectre left off, but Nolan revealed to BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs (via Digital Spy) that he is not in the running for Bond 25:
"I won't be the man. No, categorically. I think every time they hire a new director I'm rumoured to be doing it."
The answer came about when Nolan picked John Barry's musical work for On Her Majesty's Secret Service as one of his Desert Island Discs. That being said, while he confirmed that the next Bond movie isn't for him, he didn't count himself out of further installments that will inevitably come to theaters:
"I'd love to make a Bond film at some point and I think those producers – Barbara and Michael – they do a tremendous job and Sam Mendes has done a terrific job the last couple of films, so they don't particularly need me. But I've always been inspired by the films and would love to do one someday.
"I love the character, I love the films, I've been very inspired by the films as anyone who's seen my films will find embarrassingly obvious. But you'd only take on a franchise like that if you could bring something completely new to it, if that were needed. And I think at the moment they're doing fantastically well without me."
There is no doubt that bagging Nolan would've been something of a coup for the long-running franchise. As one of the highest-grossing movie series of all time, 007 tends to win big at the box office thanks to a loyal fanbase. Also, in these darker days of the series that are more grounded in reality, Nolan's hyper-realistic directorial style would work without a floating car or exploding pen in sight. Known for his work on movies like last year's war epic Dunkirk, Nolan is probably remembered most for his groundbreaking work on Warner Bros.' Dark Knight Trilogy. Giving he own take on the world of Batman, Nolan arguably reinvented the vigilante superhero, so just imagine what he could've done with Bond 25.
Sadly, it just isn't meant to be, so it looks like it is back to the drawing board for Bond overlord Barbara Brocolli, who also hasn't ruled out a female director taking the reins for once. Among the other frontrunners for the job have included Blade Runner 2049's Denis Villeneuve (until he confirmed he wouldn't be directing either), and The Bourne Identity's Doug Liman. The state of Bond 25 is an interesting one, and it was something of an uphill struggle to even get Craig to sign on. However, with a 2019 release date looming, execs had better put someone in the crosshairs of their Walther PPK pretty soon.
More: Casino Royale Director Would Return if James Bond Was Recast
Source: Digital Spy
