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Very good review, @Pierce2Daniel, thanks. Sam Mendes, Deakins and George Mackay for Bond 26. I'd watch that.
Yeah I would like to have him back because I thought he was great and had a real handle on how a Bond feels, whilst still adding to that and making it something more (he struggled with the plot to Spectre but I think there are all sorts of pressures going into a film like that so I don't blame him solely), whereas I think Fukunaga essentially didn't manage to evoke that Bond feel.
But he himself said that he'd said it all with Skyfall and had to be heavily persuaded to do one more, and as Spectre didn't turn out very successfully I would say the chances of him wanting to do another one, especially as Craig is now literally out of the picture, are pretty much zero.
I know what you mean about Fukanaga not really being able to evoke that same Bond 'feel' in the same way Mendes could. I do wonder how Mendes would have handled NTTD in an alternate universe and what story adaptations he would have pushed for.
Yeah that's a nice thought. In many ways I think NTTD had a more solid overall story than Spectre did, so it would have been very interesting to see it with Mendes' style.
https://deadline.com/2024/02/beatles-movies-sam-mendes-paul-mccartney-john-lennon-george-harrison-ringo-starr-1235831317/
https://variety.com/2024/film/news/beatles-movies-sam-mendes-directing-four-films-2027-release-1235916841/
Well, if this project fully goes through, don’t expect Sam Mendes back for Bond anytime soon.
I really love the film Nowhere Boy, which explores John Lennon's life leading up to becoming 'The Beatles".
I guess you could argue it would depend on the project. I can see why working on these four films at once would create a more consistent tone/vision that maybe he didn't think Bond would benefit from (I can sort of see why - Bond films are essentially stand alone adventures, each with differing styles and tones, even if they're essentially sequels like DN/FRWL and CR/QOS, or have plot threads which carry over).
That said he probably more likely didn't want to be tied down by two Bond films back to back and is more committed to this... oh well.
As for the Beatles project… great. I would be surprised if Deakins joined him on it though. He may not be up for doing such a lengthy project.
That and I think a Bond project would be a lot more exhausting than a project about The Beatles. Mendes doesn’t have to worry about assembling action set pieces involving Pauly Mac holding onto the side of a helicopter.
It will be interesting to see how Mendes attempts to frame the “four different perspectives.” Will he use the same timeframe for each or will he jump around the timeline?
My humble suggestion is that he stress the transition of John, Paul, George and Ringo from Beatles to solo artists (i.e., 1969-1974). He could start with their final recording session at which all four members attended (August 20th, 1969) and conclude with Lennon signing off on the legal dissolution of the group on December 29th, 1974.
Final Group Photoshoot (August 22nd, 1969)
John adding his signature to that of Ringo, Paul and George …. And The Beatles are no more.
If you've never seen Martin Scorsese's 2011 documentary “George Harrison Living In The Material World” it's worth a look if just for this footage (Paul McCartney and George Harrison at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on December 19, 1974, signing the document that signifies the dissolution of the group. John would sign a few weeks later).
https://fandomwire.com/i-had-to-persuade-him-very-hard-skyfall-director-put-it-all-in-getting-16-time-oscar-nominated-legend-to-make-the-best-james-bond-movie-of-all-time/
I think we can truly count Sam Mendes out as the Bond 26 director.
I’m good with that. SP felt like he was mostly out of gas after SF to me.
Fair enough. However, he wouldn't film 2 Bond movies back to back, but he'll film 4 movies at once. Will he run out of gas on this project as well? Let's hope not.
Maybe that's why Mendes feels like taking the challenge.
Forget trying to make four films, I’m trying to think of the logistics of releasing four films at the same time. Sony must have been really sold on the idea that a Beatles film could be big. This probably would have been a lot more massive if done in the 90s when 60s nostalgia was at its peak and Cool Britannia was happening.
The closest to this concept that I can think of was a series of movies called The Disappearance of Elenor Rigby (funnily enough) which had James Mcavoy and Jessica Chastain. It was released as three movies from the perspectives of different characters. I did not watch more than one of them.