Daniel Craig as James Bond in the last installment of the Bond franchise, ‘Skyfall’

Deadline recently reported that Sam Mendes is back in talks to direct the next addition to the James Bond franchise. Mendes directed the last Bond film, Skyfall, which earned $1.1 billion worldwide- the highest grossing Bond film in history. Considering the commercial success of Skyfall, Mendes seems like a natural choice for the next Bond installment, yet Mendes’ prior engagements have led to much speculation about the director’s involvement in Bond’s next adventure.

Mendes is currently directing a West End production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, an endeavor that recently made headlines due to Mendes’ insistence that the role of Violet Beauregarde is to be played by a “non-white” actress that is able to rap and has an “attitude.” This production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is eventually set to move to Broadway.

There have been periodic whispers of various directors that could possibly direct the film, from Ang Lee and Christopher Nolan to Nicolas Winding Refn, but the most recent word surrounding the film is that Mendes is back in talks with producers Michael Wilson and Barbra Broccoli. With the success of Skyfall and many of the director’s other films, such as Revolutionary Road and American Beauty, another Mendes-directed addition to the Bond franchise will surely be music to the ears of 007 fans everywhere.