Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh reveals why he ultimately failed to direct a James Bond film during an appearance on Happy Sad Confused.
With the world of James Bond Scheduled to continue in 2021, Steven Soderbergh revealed how he was willing to direct a delivery not once but twice, as well as why the plans never materialized. Created by Ian Fleming, the British secret agent debuted in the 1953 book, Casino Royale. Fleming went on to write a series of follow-ups over the next decade. After Fleming’s death in 1964, several different authors took over. However, Fleming’s novels and short stories remained the quintessential outings for many fans.
The iconic adventures made the leap to the big screen with 1962’s Dr. No and Sean Connery playing the titular spy. Over the decades, twenty-three official films were produced that made the franchise one of the most profitable of all time. Entering Connery’s sizable shows, various actors have taken on the role of 007. The most recent was Daniel Craig, who came on board for something of a soft reboot in 2006. Craig eventually returned for four direct sequels, including No Time To. Die of 2021, which will be the twenty-fourth installment of the franchise overall. For so many actors who have jumped into the world, there have been so many directors supervising the action. Soderbergh has now revealed that he was almost one of them.
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Soderbergh was rumored to be in line to direct an adventure multiple times over the years. Speculation was further sparked in 2009 following comments from Matt Damon, who had recently worked with him on The Informant! However, ultimately none of it came out. As such, when Soderbergh appeared on an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, host Josh Horowitz took the opportunity to ask if it was true or not. Soderbergh quickly clarified that it was true. In addition, he gave more details about what had happened. This is what he said:
“Absolutely. Yes. I love that world. I think we disagreed on some things that were important. We had some great conversations, and they were fun to think about. But we just couldn’t … the last ten yards was, we just couldn’t do it. We just couldn’t figure it out.
Soderbergh’s cinematic tenure has been only half that of James Bond. However, it has been eclectic. He first broke out with Sex, Lies, and Videotape in 1989. Since then, his career has ranged from big-budget conventional offerings like Oceans Eleven to independent experimental fares like Unsane. In recent years, Soderbergh has embraced the streaming platform, with two projects released on Netflix and two on HBO Max. The second of them, No Sudden Moves, is scheduled to be released next year. Still, a 007 movie would have been a considerable notch on his resume. As such, Horowitz went on to ask what Soderbergh’s version of a James Bond movie would have looked like:
Well, you know, we’ll never know. Some aspects have appeared elsewhere. I’d say there are things to Haywire, in terms of its approach to the character, it’s not a great movie, but there is a bit of activity. That’s a clue to the kind of attitude I was looking for. But look, they are doing very well.
Packed with a star-studded cast, crowd-pleasing actions, and a variety of twists and turns, Haywire proved to be a well-received film that has remained a cult favorite for many. If that served as a testament to the kind of Bond movie it would have delivered, fans are sure to be disappointed. Although Soderbergh seemed less affected, the move would also have made him the first American to direct a 007 adventure. Instead, that honor has now gone to Cary Fukunaga. However, Soderbergh may one day have another chance. After all, as the titular secret agent himself has repeatedly learned over the years, when it comes to the world of James Bond, one should never say never.
More: Why The Next James Bond Shouldn’t Be As Famous As Henry Cavill
Fuente: Happy Sad Confused
No Time to Die / James Bond 25 (2021)Release Date: Apr 02, 2021
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About the Author
John Atkinson (706 articles published)
John Atkinson has been a news and feature film writer for. since the end of 2018. Before that, I had published articles in several different outlets. A graduate of the University of London, John was raised on a small island for television and film. As such, he pursued a career in screenwriting and film journalism when it became apparent that becoming Spider-Man was impossible. John’s greatest wish is to one day produce his own movie. Until then, he’s more than happy to spend countless hours talking about them. John’s love of film and television defies genre and sometimes even logic. Nothing is out of the bounds of his passion, be it Marvel, DC, Rian Johnson’s Star Wars or Tommy Wiseau’s latest cinematic offering. Away from the screens, John can often be found in a park reading mystery and / or fantasy novels, jumping up and down at various musical events, or overthinking Keanu Reeves’ career and why Edgar Wright doesn’t have an Oscar. .
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