Sam Mendes not returning to Bond after Spectre

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When Sam Mendes originally came on to direct Skyfall the idea was that he would possibly stick around for a sort of trilogy. That almost fell through when production delays led him to almost not direct Spectre, but once he came back many were asking if he’d now do a third as planned. The answer is no.

Speaking with BBC Mendes revealed that Spectre will be his last Bond for now. 

“I said no to the last one and then ended up doing it, and was pilloried by all my friends,” he said. “But I do think this is probably it … I don’t think I could go down that road again. You do have to put everything else on hold.”

Honestly, it’s not the surprising. Unlike in the early days of Bond where guys like Guy Hamilton and John Glen directed multiple outings it’s too big of a time suck now. It’s also a good thing. Mendes does an awesome job, but having different directors means that Bond can constantly evolve into the current cinematic landscape. One of the reasons he’s survived so long is that the films have always adapted and having fresh directorial blood helps with that.

Matthew Razak
Matthew Razak is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Flixist. He has worked as a critic for more than a decade, reviewing and talking about movies, TV shows, and videogames. He will talk your ear off about James Bond movies, Doctor Who, Zelda, and Star Trek.