Sam Mendes Says SPECTRE Will Be His Final Bond Film

James Bond fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Spectre, the 24th film in the long-running spy franchise that's set to hit theaters in November. It's director Sam Mendes' follow-up to Skyfall, the most financially successful film in Bond movie history, and one of the most beloved action films of the past few years. But as we often do in movie blog circles, let's skip past what hasn't even come out yet and look ahead to the next film after that: will Mendes make a triumphant return for Bond 25 and round out his own trilogy?

According to the director himself, probably not. He tells the BBC:

"I said no to the last one and then ended up doing it, and was pilloried by all my friends. But I do think this is probably it. I don't think I could go down that road again. You do have to put everything else on hold. It feels almost, even though we've just finished shooting it, like one big experience [directing Skyfall and Spectre] and it was a fantastic life-changing thing. It really is more a lifestyle choice than a job."

As he obviously admits, he had a change of heart when it came to coming back to direct Spectre, so there's still a chance that he could be enticed back for another Bond adventure. This could very easily be seen as the kind of public negotiating tactic that people like Robert Downey Jr. have used so effectively in recent years, so we'll have to see if Sony is willing to unload a dump truck full of money on his front yard to bring him back for a third entry. 

In the same interview, Mendes also teased that the theme song has already been recorded, even though it's still a mystery as to the artist who's singing this one.

"I can say that the song's been recorded and it's fantastic and I'm very excited about it," he said. "You won't have to wait long."

I've seen rumors that it might be Ellie Goulding, but whoever it is, they'll have a tough act to follow since Adele's "Skyfall" was such a memorable, powerful track.