Sam Mendes Says James Bond Movies Need a New Director

It looks like the producers of the James Bond films might need to look for more than just a new star as director Sam Mendes doesn’t plan on returning to the franchise.

The director helmed the previous two movies, Skyfall and Spectre, to great acclaim.

“I’m a storyteller and at the end of the day I want to make stories with new characters,” Sam said (via The Telegraph). “I also believe there are directors out there who can do the job every bit as well as me. And like me with Skyfall, it should come from a slightly unexpected direction. It was an incredible adventure, I loved every second of it. It was a privilege, all the experiences were gobsmacking for me, but I think it’s time for somebody else to do a great job.”

Sam also talked about Daniel Craig possibly being replaced by a new actor.

“There’s this constant debate about who’s going to be the next Bond,” Sam said. “The truth is – and here’s the headline: it’s not a democracy. It’s not the X Factor, it’s not the EU referendum, it’s not a public vote. Barbara Broccoli chooses who’s going to be the next Bond: end of story. Without that, there would be no Daniel Craig because public support for Daniel was zero. It was her saying ‘that man over there is going to change the whole thing, I’m going to cast him.’”