Not content with simply directing one of the biggest commercial and box office successes of the year, Casino Royale helmer Martin Campbell recently gave the film's future revenue a further boost by schilling for the recent DVD release of the latest James Bond opus. He gave a brief interview to USA Today and seemed to buck the interview trend by giving straight answers to a few questions. Unfortunately, the answer to the biggest question of all, whether he will direct the next Daniel Craig led Bond film, is left pretty much unanswered.
Campbell was asked if he would like to take on the next Bond. He responded by saying, " “After GoldenEye, I was asked to do subsequent Bonds, but I declined because it felt as if I'd be repeating myself. But this one is based on a Bond that's more interesting. To be honest, I would just say I'd never say never.” So, when you unscramble that sentence, he wouldn’t not not do it. I guess that means he wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand, as he apparently did with GoldenEye but it is a long way from saying either that 1) he’s been asked, or 2) that he would do it if he was.
Frankly, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson would be crazy not to offer him the job. Casino Royale and Daniel Craig worked primarily because Campbell brought the right mix to the rebooted franchise. Not that no one else could do it, but why not push the series into the right direction after taking such a big risk in changing tone and look for the last film. A steady hand on the tiller will help ensure that we don’t go right back to the world of laser guided briefcase missiles.
