‘Bond 25’ update: Sam Mendes out, Daniel Craig not locked for a return

Just a Spectre opened strong in theaters, fans can’t help but talk about the next 007 film, nicknamed Bond 25. Producer Michael G. Wilson has confirmed that star Daniel Craig is not contracted for five films and director Sam Mendes didn’t want to return to the franchise after Skyfall.

“Without giving too much away, the difference here for me is, this movie draws together all four of Daniel’s movies into one final story, and he completes a journey. That wasn’t the case last time. There is a sense of completeness that wasn’t there at the end of Skyfall, and that’s what makes this feel different. It feels like there’s a rightness to it, that I have finished a journey,” Mendes tells Deadline, sounding Spectre will be his last film.

Craig hasn’t spoken highly of the experience and sounds ready to move on. Mendes was asked about his remarks, saying: “…my analogy is, you’re running your first marathon, and 200 yards from the finish line, some guy  shouts, “Are you going to run another one straight away?” I get why Daniel responded the way he did. Again, a two-word answer is what springs to mind.”

The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Wilson, who has had a hand in producing the Bond movies since 1979’s Moonraker. When asked if Daniel Craig was locked into the next movie, the veteran producer finally gave a definitive answer: “We don’t have a contract…I think we’ve got Daniel Craig.”

If Craig stopped playing Bond right now, he’d tie Pierce Brosnan with four films as the character, trailing Sean Connery (six) and Roger Moore (seven). All in all, a solid run with the character.

Spectre wraps everything up with a bow.

Check out all the remarks by Mendes in a great interview over at Deadline – click here