Martin Campbell Open to Directing Bond 26

14 February 2025 23:22

Martin Campbell addressed the idea of returning to the James Bond franchise one more time in an interview with ScreenRant to promote his upcoming action-thriller Cleaner. The Kiwi director memorably gave the franchise new life twice with Goldeneye in 1995 and Casino Royale in 2006. These films were financially and critically successful, which is why many fans have had him at the top of their list to kick-start the next era.

Those same fans will therefore be pleased to hear that Campbell is still open to directing another James Bond film in the future, including Bond 26. If asked by the producers to return he answered: “Yeah, I wouldn’t say no. The point is that I love Bond. Bond is something I grew up with, right? Way back to Dr. No, when I took my mother to see it. And Bond is, always for me, an event picture. The point is, when I used to see Bond, it was an event. And that's what's so great about them. The budgets are big, the action's terrific, and the character's terrific.”

The statement makes it clear that Campbell is more than willing to helm a third Bond film even if he’s not directly campaigning for it. He knows that the decision is ultimately up to the producers. What can be felt though is his continued enthusiasm for a franchise he’s adored his entire life. This passion was key to bringing new energy to the films back when he made Goldeneye and Casino Royale. The franchise is once again at an inflection point as a new actor is needed and there’s already been a long break with no end in sight. So Campbell could just be the right man for the job to reinvigorate the franchise.

That being said, it’s still important to note that Campbell will be turning 82 later this year. Very few directors have what it takes to helm a successful action film this late into their career. His recent work (The Protégé, Memory and Dirty Angels) hasn’t connected with audiences. Even his Australian peer George Miller at 79 years of age failed to keep the engine running on his Mad Max franchise, after disappointing at the box office with Furiosa. It’s also been nearly 20 years since Campbell last dipped his toes into the world of Bond – roughly twice as long as his previous break. So there’s the real possibility that his enthusiasm won’t be enough to convince the Bond producers to give him another shot.

However, what does help the case for Martin Campbell is how his understanding of the franchise aligns with that of Barbara Broccoli. They both share the same view of the Bond films, namely that they’re proper events to be seen on the big screen. This desire to protect the cinematic experience for Bond is so fundamentally important that it’s partly to blame for the stalemate delaying the development of Bond 26. Having a director who agrees to a shared vision would be one less thing for the producers to worry about and allow them to focus on making the best film possible.

There are of course other directors possibly in contention. Back in August 2024, a senior talent representative revealed that EON was allegedly summoning “a small number of [directors]” in a process described as “a first round of speed dates.” Some of the names mentioned were Bart Layton (American Animals), Kelly Marcel (Venom: The Last Dance) and Edward Berger (Conclave). Although Berger has since stated that there’s “no truth to it whatsoever” regarding his involvement on Bond 26.

Source: ScreenRant

Read our feature article on the most promising directors to helm Bond 26.