Berger Leads Next 007 Film Director Race?

MGM, EON, Universal Pictures

German-born filmmaker Edward Berger, who directed the multiple award-winning recent remake of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” has reportedly emerged as the current frontrunner to direct the next entry in the James Bond franchise.

World of Reel and Jeff Sneider are both reporting that he’s become the top choice, with the latter adding that “Animal Kingdom” helmer David Michod and “Venom: The Last Dance” director Kelly Marcel are also contenders.

Whomever takes the gig will establish the tone and style for whomever is selected as the new Bond following Daniel Craig’s retirement from the role. If it’s Marcel, it would make her the first female director to tackle a Bond film.

The Bond movies have had an interesting directorial history. Aside from a one-off with Peter R. Hunt directing George Lazenby’s solo effort “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” direction of the franchise in its heyday was split between four people.

Terence Young first defined the character helming Sean Connery’s first (“Dr. No”), second (“From Russia with Love”) and fourth (“Thunderball”) Bond efforts.

Guy Hamilton tackled Connery’s most famous film with “Goldfinger” and his final Bond “Diamonds Are Forever” along with Roger Moore’s first two films “Live and Let Die” and “The Man with the Golden Gun”.

Lewis Gilbert tackled Connery’s memorable “You Only Live Twice” before coming back to the franchise with one of Moore’s best with “The Spy Who Loved Me” and one of his worst with “Moonraker”.

Then John Glen steered the franchise through the remainder of Moore and all of Timothy Dalton’s run with “For Your Eyes Only” arguably the best of a run that also included “Octopussy,” “A View to a Kill,” “The Living Daylights” and “Licence to Kill”.

Martin Campbell’s name will always be linked to the franchise, directing the first (and arguably best) films in both Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig’s runs – “Goldeneye” and “Casino Royale”. Sam Mendes was also a two-fer with the acclaimed smash hit “Skyfall” and the less well-regarded “Spectre”.

Otherwise the remaining films have changed it up – Roger Spottiswoode for “Tomorrow Never Dies,” Michael Apted for “The World is Not Enough,” Lee Tamahori for “Die Another Day,” Marc Forster for “Quantum of Solace,” and Cary Joji Fukunaga for “No Time to Die”.

Berger most recently directed “Conclave” starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini. It opens this coming November.

Michod, who also helmed “The Rover,” “War Machine” and the Timothee Chalamet-led “The King,” is currently editing a ‘new version’ of his stoner dramedy “Wizards!”.

Marcel, who wrote all three “Venom” films along with “Cruella” and “Fifty Shades of Grey,” is in post-production on her directorial debut with the final “Venom” film.

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