With the world of James Bond scheduled to continue in 2021, Steven Soderbergh revealed how he was up for directing an installment not once but twice — as well as why plans never came to fruition. Created by Ian Fleming, the British secret agent debuted in the 1953 book, Casino Royale. Fleming went on to write a succession of follow-ups over the next decade. Following Fleming's death in 1964, a number of different authors took up his mantle. However, Fleming's novels and short stories remained the quintessential outings for many fans.
The iconic adventures made the jump to the big screen with 1962's Dr. No and Sean Connery embodying the titular spy. Across the decades, twenty-three official movies were produced and turned the franchise into one of the most profitable of all-time. Stepping into Connery's considerable shows, several actors have taken on the mantle of 007. The most recent was Daniel Craig, who came aboard for something of a soft reboot in 2006. Craig ultimately returned for four direct sequels — including 2021's No Time To Die, which will be the twenty-fourth franchise installment overall. For as many actors that have leaped into the world, there have been as many directors overseeing the action. Soderbergh has now revealed that he was almost one of them.
Soderbergh was rumored to be in line for helming an adventure multiple times over the years. The speculation was sparked further in 2009 following comments from Matt Damon, who had recently worked with him on The Informant! However, nothing ultimately came of it. As such, when Soderbergh appeared on an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, host Josh Horowitz seized the opportunity to ask him whether or not it was true. Soderbergh quickly clarified that it was indeed true. Furthermore, he elaborated on what had happened. Here's what he said:
"Absolutely. Yeah. I love that world. I think we were at odds about some things that were important. We had some great conversations, and it was fun to think about. But we just couldn't...the last ten yards were, we just couldn't do it. We just couldn't figure it out."
Soderbergh's cinematic tenure has only been half as long as that of James Bond's. However, it's been nonetheless eclectic. He first broke out with 1989's Sex, Lies, and Videotape. Since then, his career has ranged from big-budget, mainstream offerings like Oceans Eleven to such independent, experimental fare as Unsane. In recent years, Soderbergh has embraced the streaming platform — with two projects released on Netflix and two on HBO Max. The second of them, No Sudden Moves, is scheduled to be released next year. Still, a 007 movie would have been a considerable notch on his resume. As such, Horowitz went on to ask what Soderbergh's version of a James Bond film would have looked like:
"Well, you know, we'll never know. Aspects of it have showed up elsewhere. I would say that there are things in Haywire, in terms of its approach to character - it's not a big movie, but there's a little bit of activity. That's a hint at the kind of attitude that I was looking for. But look, they're doing very well."
Packed with a star-studded cast, crowd-pleasing actions, and an array of twists and turns, Haywire proved to be a well-received film that has lingered as a cult favorite for many. If indeed that served as a testament to the kind of Bond film he would have delivered, fans will no doubt be disappointed. Though Soderbergh seemed less affected, the move would also have made him the first American to direct a 007 adventure. Instead, that honor has now gone to Cary Fukunaga. Still, Soderbergh may still one day get another opportunity. After all, as the titular secret agent himself has learned repeatedly over the years, when it comes to the world of James Bond, one should never say never.
Source: Happy Sad Confused
