Jason Bourne director Paul Greengrass says he was offered a Bond film to direct, but turned it down out of loyalty to his own series.
“They asked me after I did Bourne Supremacy,” Greengrass said on The Rest Is Classified podcast.
“I have immense admiration and respect for what [producers] Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson did with that. And [Daniel Craig] was a fantastic James Bond."
Judging by the timelines, it appears Greengrass was being lined up to helm Casino Royale, a job that went to GoldenEye director Martin Campbell to help shepherd in another fresh 007 after doing the same with Pierce Brosnan.
For Greengrass, the decision was a simple one – as he compared it to crossing the divide in one of sport's most iconic sports rivalries (but let's ignore that has already happened on multiple occasions for this metaphor to work).
"It's a bit like if you play for Manchester United, you can’t sign for Man City, you know?" Greengrass offered. You wouldn’t feel right about that. You feel loyal. I do."
Bourne and Bond both went toe-to-toe in the 2000s and 2010s, each showcasing their own brand of hard-hitting, gritty spycraft.
Both franchises have laid dormant for a while, however. 2016's Jason Bourne was the last entry in that series, while No Time to Die killed off Daniel Craig's James Bond. The hunt for a new 007 goes on, with frontrunners reportedly including Jacob Elordi and Jack Lowden. Denis Villeneuve is on board to direct Bond 26.
Source link







