Sam Mendes’ new project, “The Franchise,” takes a satirical look at superhero filmmaking and just big-budget franchise filmmaking, in general. And he has plenty of experience working under those conditions during his time in the world of James Bond. But years later, Mendes doesn’t believe he’s a good choice to helm a Bond film.
Speaking to Inverse, Sam Mendes talked about the idea of returning to the James Bond franchise and why he thinks it’s not going to happen. According to the filmmaker, he’s not in a place in his career where it makes sense. He’s not as “controllable anymore.
“Never say never, to quote the man, but I would doubt it,” Mendes said about rejoining the Bond franchise. “It was very good for me at that moment in my life. I felt like it shot me out of some old habits. It made me think on a bigger scale. It made me use different parts of my brain. You have to have a lot of energy.”
He added, “They want slightly more malleable people who are earlier in their career, who perhaps are going to use it as a stepping stone, and who are more controllable by the studio.”
As of now, it’s unclear who is going to lead the Bond franchise, both behind and in front of the camera. After the swansong film for Daniel Craig, the Bond producers are still searching for a new 007. Not only that, they will also have to find another filmmaker to kickstart the franchise yet again.
One thing seems close to certain—it’s not going to be Mendes. You can see “The Franchise” on HBO and Max now.
