If you need a director to reboot James Bond and give the latest iteration of cinema’s most famous spy a fresh coat of paint packed with exciting action sequences and dynamic set pieces, then history has shown that Martin Campbell is most definitely the man for the job.
Not only did Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig get sterling and suitably spectacular introductions as 007 under the filmmaker’s experienced and watchful eye, but both GoldenEye and Casino Royale drew widespread critical enthusiasm and set franchise-high box office totals at the time after earning $352 million and $594 million respectively, so he knows how to bring MI6’s finest back with a bang.
Once No Time to Die finally hits theaters eighteen months behind schedule in October, the long-running franchise faces what producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have admitted to be a critical juncture. Amazon’s takeover of MGM has generated plenty of questions and even more speculation over what the future holds for Bond, with the series set to celebrate its 60th anniversary next year.
In a new interview to promote his latest directorial effort The Protégé, Campbell revealed that he’d be open to the idea of returning to the well once again and rebooting Bond for the third time in a quarter of a century.
“Oh yeah, I would certainly consider it. I enjoy doing Bond. And also, the two producers are great to work with. You’re pretty much given a free hand to, everybody obviously participates in the script, and Casino I had Paul Haggis who did a terrific job with the script. He did the final draft. But the two producers are great to work with, and they don’t interfere at all if they think you’re on the right track, and everything else they just let you get on with it. They support you all the way. It’s an enjoyable experience.”
The Daniel Craig era is about to draw to a close, and once the dust settles on No Time to Die the James Bond saga will be under intense scrutiny as Eon and Amazon put their heads together and decide on what their next move is going to be, and it sounds as though Campbell is keeping his options open in the event he gets the call once more.