Sony has officially confirmed Skyfall director Sam Mendes will return to direct James Bond 24, which is now set for an October 23, 2015 UK release and a November 6, 2015 release in the States.
Mendes has been back-and-forth with the likelihood of his return, and at the end of May it was even said he would direct both Bond 24 and Bond 25, but the deal only appears to be for the 24th film with Daniel Craig also set to reprise his role as 007, James Bond.
Skyfall scribe John Logan is returning to write the screenplay, though no plot details have been mentioned outside of the possibility of Skyfall being the first film in a two-part story. There have been rumors Penelope Cruz would play the film’s “Bond Girl”, but those are merely rumors for now.
Mendes’ hesitation was due to commitments involving his direction of a new stage musical version of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, but as the press release announced, the producers worked around said commitments.
“I am very pleased that by giving me the time I need to honor all my theatre commitments,” Mendes said. “The producers have made it possible for me to direct Bond 24. I very much look forward to taking up the reins again, and to working with Daniel Craig, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for a second time.”
The Mendes-directed Skyfall took in $1.1 billion worldwide in 2012 and set a new mark as the highest-grossing film of all time in the UK; it was the best-selling Bond film on DVD/Blu-ray and was the most critically acclaimed Bond film in the history of the longest-running film franchise.
Gary Barber, MGM chairman and CEO, added, “We are thrilled to reunite the extraordinary talents of director Sam Mendes with our star Daniel Craig for the next great Bond adventure. As evidenced by the phenomenal success of our last collaboration with EON Productions and Sony, the incredible legacy of this 51-year-old franchise continues to amaze.”
You excited now?
