The $1 billion worldwide box office, awards nominations, and widespread critical acclaim — Sam Mendes is having none of it following the aftermath of “Skyfall,” and his announced departure from the series. Even as Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has essentially put out a Maya-esque manhunt to convince him otherwise, Mendes is keeping strong so far, and now he’s revealed a key aspect in that decision.
The adulation has come strong and swift for Mendes’ take on the franchise with Daniel Craig, but as recent comments show (via Yahoo UK), the years prepping the film were central in the director’s mind while pondering the future. "Was I willing to go back into a room with a writer and start work on the same set of characters and the same scenarios as I’ve been working on for the last three years?” He asked himself. “The idea made me physically ill."
An understandable reaction, and also one that factors into his views toward the saddened reaction of Bond fans. “I say to them, my life is not a democracy. It’s not up for discussion. What? ‘Maybe I should go to one of the [Bond] chat threads and change my mind?’ I don’t think that’s going to happen."
Rather than head down 007 way once again, Mendes is staging a musical version of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” next month in the West End, but we’ve had plenty of thoughts on who should step in next. However, another Bond has made news recently as well: Pierce Brosnan was notably absent from the Oscars Bond tribute in February, and it seems the actor never got the message that it was going on.
Brosnan recounts to Showbiz 411, “I was at the market and one of these chappies from TMZ said, ‘So Pierce, are you going to be there?’ I said, ‘Well I’m not going to be there. No one invited me.’ I didn’t even say no one invited me. I said, ‘I don’t think I’ll be there. It’s another man’s job.’ It got blown into something else. Anyway it became I snubbed them. I didn’t. I didn’t get invited.”
He didn’t miss much at the ceremony (besides Shirley Bassey, of course), and for a better look back anyways, Brosnan might want to check out 19-year-old Kees van Dijkhuizen Jr.’s compilation from that same month.