Craig 'a real man' - Mendes
James Bond director Sam Mendes has said Daniel Craig is a “real man” on screen, just like original 007 Sean Connery.
The Oscar-winning director has released his first video blog from the set of the new film 'Skyfall', in which he reminisces about watching the spy thrillers when he was a child.
Mendes said: “The roots of me doing the Bond movie start way before anybody approached me, because I like everybody else have my own personal relationship with Bond, which began when I was about nine or 10-years-old. So I’ve always been a fan of the movies.”
The Reading-born filmmaker said he hopes to return to the spirit of the Bond films that he remembers watching as a boy.
“I was genuinely blown away by 'Casino Royale', because of Daniel,” Mendes said.
“I thought he was a real man in a real situation again and it reminded me of the way I felt when I watched the Sean Connery movies.
“It struck me that it is still possible to make a big, fabulous, glamorous, escapist movie and yet at the same time to say something about the world that we’re living in.”
Craig is returning for a third time as Bond following the success of 'Casino Royale' and 'Quantum Of Solace'.
The film also sees Judi Dench again play M, while Javier Bardem is lined up to play the villain.
The short video shows Mendes, Dench and Craig filming in dark vaults, a bright, bustling airport, and in Westminster, with the familiar images of the Houses of Parliament, a London bus and a tube station in the background.
The 'American Beauty' director said he felt his previous work had all been building up to this project.
“Ironically, I’ve never made an English movie,” he said.
“I’ve made six movies and this is the first time I’ve shot in this country, which is an extraordinary thing.
“So I feel like the American Years were my apprenticeship for doing the Bond movie.”
Naomie Harris, Albert Finney and Ralph Fiennes are also among the cast of 'Skyfall', which is due for release in October.
