James Bond 25 Rumor: Sherlock Helmer in the Running to Direct
Film and television director Paul McGuigan (BBC’s
Sherlock) is rumored to be in consideration to direct
Bond 25. Since Daniel Craig took over the role of 007 in the
James Bond franchise 11 years ago, the film series has consistently suffered from ups and downs. Screaming out of the gate in 2006 with director Martin Campbell with
Casino Royale, Craig proved the world was ready to accept him as a blond Bond, but 007 quickly fell out of favor with fans again with the underwhelming
Quantum of Solace from helmer Marc Forster in 2008.
The franchise’s fortunes changed with the next film in 2012, as
American Beauty Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes pulled the film series out its doldrums in 2012 with
Skyfall, arguably one of the best films in the entire Bond franchise, suffered a sophomore slump in 2015 when
Spectre couldn’t quite match the brilliance of its predecessor.
With Mendes out of the picture for
Bond 25, Bond producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are on the hunt for a new filmmaker to take the helm, and if a rumor pans out, it will be McGuigan. According to
IndieWire, Wilson and Broccoli are impressed with McGuigan’s indie drama
Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool that the filmmaker is being considered to take the director’s chair for
Bond 25. The outlet observes that the choice of a director like McGuigan makes sense for the Bond franchise, since previous helmers like Mendes and Forster (
Monster’s Ball,
Finding Neverland) both came from the independent film world.