ROTTEN TOMATOES: The Next "Bond" Director Has Been Chosen

The Next "Bond" Director Has Been Chosen

by Scott Weinberg | June 20, 2007

And it's certainly nobody you'd expect!

The director of "Bond 22" will be ... Marc Forster. Yes, the guy who gave you "Stranger Than Fiction," "Stay," "Finding Neverland," and "Monster's Ball," is about to give you a James Bond movie. (The director also has "The Kite Runner" on the way.)

Production doesn't get underway until December, but Paul Haggis is presently doing his polish of the Neal Purvis / Robert Wade screenplay. (All three writers also worked on "Casino Royale.")

Obviously Daniel Craig will be returning as 007, and I'm betting we'll see some more of Judi Dench too.

So I can't be the only one who thinks this is kind of a weird choice. Not a BAD one, necessarily, but a strange one. Guess we'll find out in November of 2008.

Source: Variety

Related Items

Celeb:	Marc Forster
	Judi Dench
	Paul Haggis
	Neal Purvis
	Daniel Craig
	Robert Wade
Movie:	Casino Royale
	Monster's Ball
	Finding Neverland
	Stay
	Stranger Than Fiction

(1-20 of 34 posts) | Reply

bigbrother writes:
on Jun 20 2007 05:26 AM

Yes, we certainly wouldn't expect it cause it so totally wasn't suggested that he was one of the candidates for it on this very site a month ago!!! OK, now that I've put Weinberg back in his place, this is an interesting choice. Obviously he'll bring something new to the character relationships. Hopefully he won't make a pigs ear out of the action sequences. Should be interesting.

(Reply to this)

Reeven writes:
on Jun 20 2007 05:46 AM

I still think they should have just stuck with Martin Campbell, but I'll keep an open mind.

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Gimy writes:
on Jun 20 2007 06:11 AM

eh...ok? while i liked the movie and i like craig...i just don't see craig AS BOND. not really pumped about this franchise anymore. i'm more anxious in Bourne. i think they took too much away from the usual bond to make this...BOND. its more an routine, but decent, action character with no real defining qualities that stick out.

(Reply to this)

Devoted95 writes:
on Jun 20 2007 06:13 AM

[b]Ooops!![/b]
Wohh hohohoohohoh. Hold on a tick. Is this person the right choice for the bond film??..ummm..I dont like to prejudge but I'm having a little bit of a doubt. But then again, the list that was shown a couple of weeks back for potential directors was quite freaky (they even had Tony Scott in their..wtf???..I mean c'mon) not that Tony Scott was a bad director, but his style would'nt suit a bond film. Casino Royale is one of my top favourite films, and am planning to add Bond 22 to this list. Personally I have'nt seen any of Marc Foster's works but now I am planning too. He's done quite a bit of romance, comedy and drama but I'm just thinking about the action scenes. Will he be able to do that wicked action scenes that Campbell did?? or better yet, surpass them???. Well, he is a talented director and he's done pretty tight films (even if not so much of bond genre) but I'll give this guy the benefit of the doubt. A great thing is with him, there will be a lot of human drama and character development involved.

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frogleg writes:
on Jun 20 2007 06:23 AM

I think most movies we've seen from a director who can nail drama will translate into almost any other genre (except maybe comedy). I'm not worried about the action scenes, I think it'll work itself out.

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blank blank writes:
on Jun 20 2007 06:39 AM

talent is talent, and forster has made some really good movies. even though he is not an action guy, im real happy with this choice.

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IMAmoose24 writes:
on Jun 20 2007 06:48 AM

I too am alright with it. Loved Neverland and Fiction. Hopefully he'll deliver.

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Monkeyfist writes:
on Jun 20 2007 06:51 AM

The James Bond series died about 20 years ago. If you took the name James Bond out of the title character and replaced it with something else, you'd have about 5 below average action films that nobody would have seen, and make very little sense story-wise. I challenge anyone to tell me what the hell Die Another Day was about.

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Gimy writes:
on Jun 20 2007 07:29 AM

Die Another was about a korean guy who wanted to become more powerful than the world wanted him to, even his father didn't want him to. bond interfered...broke up his plans, and when everybody thought koreaguy was dead...he went to cuba...changed his face through surgery down there, thus becoming a british tycoon RICH as h3ll with the stolen diamonds he got...and created a satellite that took the suns rays and created a killer weapon. typical bond movie. not difficult, just have to have an iq higher than 2 to understand it. keep to the old school "you bad, we kill you..." plots OldManRiver...this new stuff is too complicated for ya grandpa

(Reply to this)

Warheart1188 writes:
on Jun 20 2007 08:01 AM

In some ways the Bond franshise diminished a bit long ago in the '80s but Pierce Bronson breathed new life with the amazing Goldeneye. Tomorrow Never Dies, was alright, The World is Not Eough, wasnt enough for me and Die Another Day, didn't entice me one bit but I watched it anyway. Casino Royale was like Goldeneye to me. I said 'This is Bond!'. I was glad is wasn't remake of the original Casino Royale movie, which doesn't even count as a real Bond flick, and gave us a fresh, modern day look at how Bond started out. I have high hopes for the new one.

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blank blank writes:
on Jun 20 2007 08:39 AM

die another day was about bond learning how to surf a tidal wave using flashy material and living in a castle made out oh ice. jeez.

the world is not enough is definately the worst bond movie ive seen. denise richards as a nuclear scientist? are you kidding me? sophie marceau was wasted in a movie like that. even the song sucked. bah.

im glad they revamped the franchise with an emphasis on acting (pierce was great as bond, but the writing didnt help at all)

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unbreakable_samurai writes:
on Jun 20 2007 08:53 AM

Actually bigbrother he was on that list. I'm a fan of his and I'm happy with this, I would have prefured Alex Proyas though. While Casino Royale was a good action film, it was kinda a bad Bond film, so hopefully Forster makes this one feel a little bit more like Bond.

(Reply to this)

taran72 writes:
on Jun 20 2007 09:59 AM

It's going to be hard to follow up Campbell, one of the (if not THE) greatest Bond director of all time. Of course, that's not saying much, but he's done a great job.

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arendr writes:
on Jun 20 2007 10:00 AM

Forster's a good director guys. Give him a chance.

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Shatter24 writes:
on Jun 20 2007 10:48 AM

In reply to this comment (#870344)
[b]Awesome response[/b]
You nailed it. I liked most of Die Another Day. Not sure about this new guy.

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arendr writes:
on Jun 20 2007 11:00 AM

In reply to this comment (#870346)
Denise Richards made a great nuclear scientist. She's got two nuclear reactors to conduct her research. How is that not believable?

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dagreenman18 writes:
on Jun 20 2007 11:56 AM

huh. didn't see that coming. Well, it could work. Stay looked good, even if it didn't have that much substance. as long as Haggis and crew keep up the excelent plot and the new found hardcore Bond, i think it will be as good as Casino Royale.

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rt_hire_me writes:
on Jun 20 2007 12:15 PM

In reply to this comment (#870347)
Yeah, you're right: good action film, but not a good bond film. What's with the sicko, sadistic villain and the nutcracking scene? That wasn't 'fun'. Bring back Jaws!

(Reply to this)

bigbrother writes:
on Jun 20 2007 12:36 PM

In reply to this comment (#870347)
I know I broke my own rule and tried to use sarcasm. It's one of my pet peeves when people do that and don't make it blatantly obvious. Now I'm a classic case self-loather :)

(Reply to this)

killermonkey8822 writes:
on Jun 20 2007 12:49 PM

well..... that's an odd choice...... but it could be good........ we just haven't really seen an action movie from the guy before.

(Reply to this)

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