Sam Mendes

The movies!

What are the odds?

Remember when Daniel Craig famously said he’s rather slash his own wrists than suit up again as 007? There’s probably a handful of reasons Craig was hesitant to return to the franchise, from the intense physical demands of the role to the time commitment to playing a celebrated, though not-all-that-creative iconic character. (Bond isn’t exactly a role that lends an actor much creative license, unlike say, Joe Bang in Logan Lucky where Craig gets to roll around in sheer kookiness.) But according to new rumors, there was another reason that Craig may have been reluctant to rejoin the franchise for Bond 25, and now, Bond 26.

Nearly two decades out from his first film, and the viewing public hasn’t gotten any closer to answering the philosophical quandary of what, exactly, a Sam Mendes film is. He’s hopped from an accented dramedy about suburban malaise to a grim-and-gritty graphic novel adaptation to an off-kilter war drama to a pair of coolly-received literary adaptations to James freakin’ Bond. The most effective method of predicting the subject of a new directorial outing from Mendes involves dartboards, tea leaves, and cloud-reading, and today’s announcement of a new project for the esteemed Brit helmer adds yet another baffling left turn to his eclectic oeuvre.

Disney shows no signs of slowing down plans for their ever-expanding live-action empire, which not only includes remakes of their classic animated titles, but new adaptations of various beloved properties, like James and the Giant Peach. Roald Dahl’s darkly whimsical children’s story is the latest project on the studio’s to-do list, with recent Bond director Sam Mendes in talks to take the helm.

Yes, you’ve heard it before, but Sam Mendes really means it this time. Even though he said Skyfall was his last James Bond film, and even though he directed Spectre anyway, and even though he already said Spectre would be his final outing with 007, this time he means business. Mendes is officially done with James Bond, and it’s hard not to believe that he’s for-really-real about it considering the rampant rumors (with supporting evidence) of Daniel Craig’s exit.

Spectre is amusing and stylish, but just barely. And its fixation on validating Bond’s worth in 2015 through a Snowden-esque subplot about a worldwide security network feels particularly inappropriate given the fact that so much of the movie is spent looking to Bond’s past, rather than his present or future.

Director interviews are often quite interesting, but as it turns out, it takes a director to really get his (or her) fellow directors to open up. Spectre director Sam Mendes chatted with Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Edgar Wright and more of your favorites, asking some of the best questions — and getting some of the most revealing and delightful answers.

Is Christoph Waltz playing classic Bond villain Blofeld? Director Sam Mendes has been pretty coy about it, but all signs seem to indicate “yes.” The latest TV spot for Spectre introduces Daniel Craig’s James Bond to the shadowy organization led by Waltz’s enigmatic villain, and throws in a few extra explosions and chase sequences for good measure.

Sony debuted the final trailer for Spectre on Thursday, which features a handful of footage from the previous trailers, but includes some new action sequences and a better look at Christoph Waltz outside of the shadows.