6. Quentin Tarantino
Having Quentin Tarantino on this list is an odd choice, I agree. But let’s look at the facts: he is a perfectionist who nailed every project he attempted, he is considered a demigod by all his cult followers, and he can convince everyone in Hollywood to work with him.
He is a visionary and a storyteller who revolutionized every popular movie genre that crossed his path, and he stated many times that the films he is interested in are the ones belonging to the same genres he loves. He has plenty of knowledge, passions and opinions about the 53 years of James Bond on film (just read his 2 cents about “Skyfall” when released).
QT’s bond will not follow some conventional expectations, like Martin Campbell or Sam Mendes, but it will be a different outtake (probably with legendary punch lines, out of this world gadgets, and even funnier situations).
It will be more like homage to the 70’s blaxploitation movies and to the first exotic adaptation by Ian Fleming. His work on the movie may not be a base for sequels, but more like 1967’s Casino Royale. So, how can we not be tempted?
7. Tomas Alfredson
Tomas Alfredson’s resume could be the tiniest one on this list, but he has a huge advantage. How many filmmakers have crafted a stylish, classy, and brilliant adaptation of a bestseller by John le Carré (the other British author of espionage novels)? How many directors have helped Gary Oldman earn his only Oscar nomination to date? How many can conduct this stellar cast (this movie has two James Bond potential interpretations: Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy)?
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” could be presented as the anti-Bond movie, but it shows another side of the spy movie genre that can take 007 into different artistic fields.
The idea worked for Marvel Studios: betting on an infamous but promising filmmaker and giving him the keys to the realm. So, maybe giving him the possibility of his own James Bond adaptation may just seem like a promotion, or the graduation you deserve after excelling at your studies.
8. Tom Hooper
With Sam Mendes, the thought of picking an Oscar winner seems like a good strategy to guarantee the movie an amount of quality, and to promote it as an accomplishment of creative work instead of just a generic blockbuster.
Tom Hooper is one of many that could carry on this tradition. Just like Mendes, he has an Oscar for Best Director, and he is known for taking good care of his cast (Colin Firth, Anne Hathaway and Alicia Vikander can thank him for their Oscars).
The one superiority Mendes has over Hooper is that he has tried many kinds of cinematic experiments, whereas Hooper is mostly known for his historical films based on books, movies, and TV shows. That doesn’t make him any less than a gifted director who could lead the franchise into a classic yet rousing entertainment path.
9. Danny Boyle
At this point in his career, Danny Boyle has nothing to prove to anyone. He is a famous, respected filmmaker who worked for over three decades on English and US movie productions. He was sought just after the triumph of “Slumdog Millionaire” and at the same time as Sam Mendes, but sadly, he preferred not to focus on big budget movies (his words) and made “Trance” instead with James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson and Vincent Cassel.
He even argued that he has made a Bond film with a great stellar cast, referring to the London 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder, in which James Bond (Daniel Craig) escorts Queen Elizabeth to the Opening Ceremony!
Years later, he worked on “Steve Jobs”, which was penned by Aaron Sorkin (with fan favorite Michael Fassbender), and he is busy filming the “Trainspotting” sequel, to be released in 2017. His opinions and ambitions towards adding his name to the Bond mythology may have changed (or not), but for many experts, he remains the most qualified to handle the job.
So, his name will continue to pop up in every conversation that involves a potential James Bond director. Maybe if we keep asking, he won’t say no after all.
10. Gareth Edwards
After the success of “Godzilla” at the box office, despite receiving mixed reviews, Gareth Edwards was presented with more blockbuster opportunities. In the spirit of recruiting young talented directors for their long-running projects (JJ Abrams for the new Star Wars movies, Rian Johnson for “Looper”, Colin Trevorrow for “Jurassic World”), Edwards was lucky to be chosen for the first spin-off of the series, “Rogue One”.
The two engagements make him more experienced jumping onto a previously established mythology. Marvel liked how the promising young British director was able to “balance the large scale battles of Godzilla with the brevity of the human characters.” If this can apply to monsters or superheroes, it can work as well on the great character of James Bond.
Edwards withdrew from “Godzilla 2”, which emptied his schedule, making him a more realistic and doable decision for the future of the James Bond franchise, unlike many other potential movie directors.
Author Bio: Abdessamia My Abdellah majors in Political Sciences and International Studies. He is devoted to Cinema in all its genres and nationalities. He seeks enlightenment through movies and books.