Director Sam Mendes: 'Skyfall' & 'Spectre' Were 'Life-Changing' But No More Bond Films in the Works
It looks like Oscar-winning English stage and film director Sam Mendes' mission might be complete in the James Bond franchise.
The latest installment of the long-running film series, "Spectre," is set to open in London in October, but after that, Mendes said he probably would not work on any more Bond films.
"I said no to the last one and then ended up doing it, and was pilloried by all my friends," Mendes told BBC News. "But I do think this is probably it."
"Spectre" marks the 24th James Bond adventure and the second for Mendes, who directed "Skyfall" in 2012. This also marks actor Daniel Craig's fourth appearance as the highly coveted MI6 agent.
While there is a lot of glitz and glam, impressive stunts and exotic locations, directing James Bond films is a colossal task. In Mendes' case, "Spectre" and "Skyfall" took a reported total of five years to make.
"I don't think I could go down that road again," Mendes added. "You do have to put everything else on hold. ... It feels almost, even though we've just finished shooting it, like one big experience and it was a fantastic life-changing thing. It really is more a lifestyle choice than a job."
"Spectre" was shot in London, Mexico, Italy and Morocco and the cast and crew combined added up to more than 1,000 people, according to Mendes.
"And you really do feel it," he explained to BBC News. "This is a bigger movie than 'Skyfall.' It's shot in more places -- we were in Mexico City and Tangiers and northern Sahara and Rome and the Alps and London. It's been an enormous undertaking."
Mendes also shot an authentic and vibrant Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos) festival scene in Mexico City where the cast, crew and incredibly talented costume design team created an artistic opening sequence with colorful costumes, makeup and floats.
What can Bond fans expect from "Spectre?"
A blast from the past. In "Spectre," "a cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind 'Spectre.'"
In addition to Craig, "Spectre" stars Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, David Bautista and Andrew Scott.
The action adventure thriller is written by John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade and produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Mendes is also known for directing "American Beauty," starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning and Mena Suvari, as well as "Jarhead" and "Revolutionary Road," among others.
His first love is theatre, however. In between his Bond films, Mendes managed to find the time to squeeze in directing a new stage production of Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
"Spectre" will hit theaters on Oct. 26 in the U.K. and Nov. 6 in the U.S.
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