Skip to main content
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Christian Bale in The Dark Knight
Crime Movies Christian Bale promises Heat 2 will be "something great", and he came close to working with Leonardo DiCaprio before
Glen Powell as Becket in How to Make a Killing
Comedy Movies How to Make a Killing is Glen Powell's latest mid-budget movie, and I hope he never stops making them
Resident Evil Requiem
Horror Movies Resident Evil Requiem Leon actor says he's "cautiously optimistic" about upcoming film adaptation from Weapons director
Jessie Buckley as Ida/Penny in The Bride
Horror Movies The Bride's violence was "pulled back" after test screenings, but director Maggie Gyllenhaal stands by what was kept in
Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly in Spider-Noir
Superhero Shows Nicolas Cage wanted to play his 1930s superhero detective in Spider-Noir like a "spider pretending to be a person"
Penelope Cruz as Myrna in The Bride
Horror Movies Penelope Cruz says it was "a pleasure" to "express a lot of rage" in new horror-romance The Bride
Christian Bale as Frank in The Bride
Horror Movies Christian Bale on exploring the more "comedic" sides of Frankenstein's monster in new sci-fi horror The Bride
A screenshot of James Bond in 007 First Light's reveal trailer.
Games 007 First Light: Everything we know so far about IO Interactive's new Bond game
Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars Movies Steven Soderbergh says he is "very disappointed" by the decision to cancel The Hunt for Ben Solo
Christian Bale as Frank in The Bride
Horror Movies The Bride star "cherry-picked" his Frankenstein's monster from the bits Mary Shelley and Boris Karloff "got right"
A young James Bond smirks in 007 First Light with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 branding frame
Action Games 007 First Light will do something no Bond game has done before – slow down: "Players might be surprised"
Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley in The Bride
Horror Movies The Bride's Christian Bale thought he read the "wrong script" because of how risky it was
Ben Affleck as Batman in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
DC Movies Zack Snyder explains why Ben Affleck is the best big-screen Batman we ever had: “Of anybody who’s played Batman, Ben is the best Bruce Wayne.”
A screenshot of James Bond in 007 First Light's reveal trailer.
Hitman 007: First Light will be less stealthy than Hitman because IO is pushing "forward momentum gameplay all the time"
Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray in Star Wars: Starfighter
Sci-Fi Movies Ryan Gosling says franchise fare "never felt right" until Star Wars: Starfighter: "It is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity"
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Action Movies
  4. James Bond Movies
  5. Skyfall

Sam Mendes admits he wouldn't have cast Daniel Craig as Bond

News
By Jane Crowther published 19 April 2012

Skyfall director owns up to Casino Royale scepticism

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Sam Mendes revealed today that he was initially sceptical of the casting of Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale , despite having worked with him on The Road To Perdition .

"I was one of the people who said I didn't think he was the right casting," he admitted from the set at Pinewood.

"At the time I was asked in an interview and I said I'm not sure, I would have advised him not to do it. I was completely wrong."

But the director of the 23rd Bond film, Skyfall , confessed that he'd been able to congratulate Craig after his first outing. "I bumped into him after Casino Royale and I was so excited [ to see him as Bond ]. To watch him go through that intense pressure of being cast as Bond with flying colours...it was great to see him come through that and prove the doubters wrong."

Craig hasn't held it against Mendes. He praised the director for his calmness on set of Skyfall . "I've got an awful lot to worry about on a movie like this and what working with Sam has allowed me to do is just concentrate on the job."

Skyfall opens on 26 October 2012.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Jane Crowther
Social Links Navigation
Freelance Writer

Jane Crowther is a freelance writer and the Editor-in-Chief at Hollywood Authentic magazine, having formerly been the longtime Editor of Total Film magazine. Jane is also the Chair of The Critics' Circle and a BAFTA member. You'll find Jane on GamesRadar+ exploring the biggest movies in the world and living up to her reputation as one of the most authoritative voices on film in the industry.

Read more
Dylan O'Brien as Bradley in Send Help
Sam Raimi had creative "disagreements" with one of his Send Help stars, but the director ultimately admitted he was wrong
 
 
Spider-Man director Sam Raimi reveals he tried to make a Batman film but "couldn’t get the rights"
 
 
007 First Light
007: First Light is "not a role-playing game" because it's James Bond's story
 
 
Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley in The Bride
The Bride's Christian Bale thought he read the "wrong script" because of how risky it was
 
 
Spider-Man director Sam Raimi gives thoughts on returning to the franchise
 
 
Sam Worthington as Jake Sully in Avatar: Fire and Ash
James Cameron says Matt Damon didn't actually lose millions from turning down Avatar: "That never happened"
 
 
Latest in James Bond Movies
Austin Butler in The Bikeriders
Elvis and Dune star Austin Butler says it would be "sacrilegious" to play James bond, but wouldn't mind being a villain: "No calls as far as that goes, but I love that man"
 
 
Glen Powell in Hit Man
As a new 007 movie gets closer, one actor has taken himself out of the running in the funniest way: "A Texan should not play James Bond"
 
 
Uncharted
Spider-Man star Tom Holland downplays speculation that he could be the next James Bond while being grilled by Gordon Ramsay
 
 
Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders
Dune director Denis Villeneuve's James Bond reportedly finds its writer in Peaky Blinders creator, and now I can't stop thinking about Cillian Murphy as 007
 
 
Taron Egerton in Tetris
Kingsman star Taron Egerton shrugs off James Bond fan-casting in new Denis Villeneuve movie because he "wouldn’t be good at it": "Nobody’s asking me to do it"
 
 
Caesar from the Planet of the Apes reboot
The 32 greatest movie reboots ever made
 
 
Latest in News
Elsa Bloodshot in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs felt "panic" at the thought of going into the live-service graveyard that just claimed Highguard
 
 
Palworld Pal with shocked expression
"I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation"
 
 
Dafne Keen brandishing her claws as Laura/X-23 in Deadpool and Wolverine
Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
 
 
Peak mesa biome
Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads to see whose game would sell more
 
 
Key art for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred showing Mephisto, a spiky and angular demon, against a red, lightning backdrop, arm and claw raised menancingly, cropped to show more of him
Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred expansion will be "really f*cking hard" at its highest difficulty, dev threatens
 
 
Jin, Mugen, and Fuu standing in a row
Samurai Champloo is getting a live-action Netflix series from One Piece studio, and the original creator is on board
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Elsa Bloodshot in Marvel Rivals
    1
    Marvel Rivals devs couldn't help but "panic" at the thought of going into the live-service graveyard that just claimed Highguard: "It's not guaranteed"
  2. 2
    "It's going to be really f***ing hard": Diablo 4 is getting 8 new difficulty tiers in Lord of Hatred because Blizzard wants OP builds to actually have to try
  3. 3
    Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
  4. 4
    "I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation" with a "decade of continuous, massive updates"
  5. 5
    "Whoever sells more copies pays for the other's therapy": Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads, and ironically the friendslop collab that followed sold more than both games combined

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...