There’s been ample talk about the actor who will replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond. However, there’s another, equally important question for us to ask: who on Earth will direct Bond 25? Sam Mendes did a commendable job with the last two entries in the series (although there wasn’t much that could be done to save Spectre) but now we must look forward to the future. A new name seems to have popped up on the shortlist of directors to take on the job, and it’s one that has us incredibly excited about where the franchise could go from here.
According to a new report from RadioTimes, it appears that Eon may have finally lined up a director to fill Sam Mendes’ shoes for the next installment in the James Bond franchise. Although it has yet to be confirmed, the report states that Susanne Bier may currently be the frontrunner to step behind the camera and take the suave British agent on his next major adventure. Not necessarily known for helming big-budget action films, Bier recently achieved immense notoriety for her stint as the director of the critically acclaimed AMC series The Night Manager.
Tapping Susanne Bier to helm the next James Bond film would make a great deal of sense. If Eon were in fact looking to cast Tom Hiddleston as the next incarnation of the iconic secret agent, then it would be logical to bring in a director who has a proven track record of crafting intriguing espionage-based drama with the wildly popular actor. The Night Manager proved that Hiddleston could hold is own in a Bond-esque role, so it only makes sense that it also proved Susanne Bier's ability to hold her own directing him in the role.
There exists another, arguably more relevant reason why Susanne Bier’s hiring would mark a major moment in the history of James Bond. If Eon hires her to helm the latest installment in the 007 franchise, not only will she be the first woman to ever direct an installment in the series, but she will be one of the few women to ever helm a big-budget blockbuster with a budget larger than $100 million – if Eon keeps the budget consistent with recent entries in the series. If nothing else, we think it would be fascinating to see how the franchise evolves with a female touch behind the camera.
At this point there’s no guarantee that Susanne Bier will take on the job, but we genuinely hope she gives it careful consideration. With her and Tom Hiddleston potentially teaming up, the Bond franchise could go on to the sort of glory not seen since the early days of Sean Connery.
