Earlier last month I had all but finished a blog about my thoughts on Danny Boyle being the director of Bond 25. To summarize that blog, Boyle is a damn fine director who has put out hits such as Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting and 28 Days Later. What we can assess from this is that Boyle is not only able to produce movie hits across a wide variety of subject matter, he’s brought home an Oscar in doing so. Where my concern lay with Boyle was due to the amount of action that Bond movies require, and the most action that Boyle had directed came from 28 Days Later. And, in 28 Days Later, the action was filmed in a similar manner to Quantum of Solace, which didn’t wind up feeling all that much like a Bond movie. It’s not to say directors without a lot of action movies on their resume can’t produce a Bond hit (thank you Sam Mendes), but it is disconcerting. Of course, right as I was getting ready to submit my blog, the news broke that Boyle had departed the movie due to creative differences, so my almost finished blog was all for naught. Regardless, it does raise the question again, who should direct Bond 25?
I’d written a blog months back, before Boyle was originally announced, about who I wanted for the film. The two names on that list were Denis Villeneuve and Christopher Nolan. Villeneuve expressed interest, but wasn’t able to commit due to a current passion project on his plate, Dune. So, it seems unlikely that he should be able to take the reins here. Nolan, on the other hand, is currently not committed to any projects. While I’m sure they’re knocking at his door, because there haven’t been any rumors in his direction as of late, it doesn’t feel as if he’ll be getting the nod (or accepting it) anytime soon. So who are some other options that the studio can explore?
Guy Ritchie is a tempting pick for a number of reasons. For one, Ritchie has a knack for great action sequences and hand-to-hand combat. Both of these were more than apparent in the Sherlock Holmes movies. Ritchie also writes phenomenal dialogue. Bond is such a great character because he is clever and always has a quip on the tip of his tongue. Ritchie would surely give us a quick-witted Bond, but the issue I have is would it feel like a Bond movie? I’m tempted to say no. Aside from his unique dialogue, Ritchie has his own style of action which, while very well done, is always distinct and a bit bizarre. The concern here is that the audience wouldn’t think that they’re watching a Bond movie, they’d think they’re watching a Guy Ritchie movie. For that exact same reason, I wouldn’t want Quentin Tarantino to take over either. Although he’s one of my favorite directors as well as someone who has expressed interest in directing a Bond film, he has such a strong vibe in his movies that you’d assuredly just think that you’re watching a Tarantino movie.
David Fincher is another promising candidate because of his amazing talent for storytelling. If you look at his movies like Fight Club and Se7en, they are pieced together to near perfection. Fincher also has a way of mixing in twists and turns to his movies, something that would be more than welcome in a Bond film. In addition, Fincher movies have a distinct, dark tone to them. While that may feel a bit off in a Bond movie, Daniel Craig has already shown us that the audience isn’t against a darker, grittier version of Bond, so it could be a great fit.
The director that is evidently leading the pack amongst bookies in London is Kathryn Bigelow, who is a very strong candidate. She did an amazing job giving the audience a tense thriller telling a captivating story in Zero Dark Thirty. The ending of that film where they storm the compound was suspense at its finest. While another one of her films, The Hurt Locker, wasn’t my particular cup of tea, it did garnish an Oscar for her. Not to mention her cult classic from the early 90’s, Point Break. Even though Point Break has quite a ridiculous plot, it did provide some very well done action along with some amazing shots during the skydiving sequences, so we’d probably be in for some great cinematography.
So there’s my two cents on a few popular options for directing Bond 25. One more person I will throw in the mix is Martin Campbell, who is apparently a complete afterthought for most people. While he does have quite a few duds on his resume including the critically panned Green Lantern, he did put out two of the best Bond films of the series in Goldeneye and Casino Royale. Not to mention, the latter is solely responsible for reinvigorating the franchise. At the very least the man deserves to be in the conversation.