Sam Mendes is to direct the 24th James Bond film, due for release in 2015, it has been announced.
Daniel Craig will reprise his role as 007, with the script penned by Oscar winner, John Logan.
Producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said: “We’re really excited to be working once again with Daniel Craig, Sam Mendes and John Logan.”
Bond 24 is due for release in the UK on 23 October 2015 and on 6 November 2015 in the US.
Skyfall’s Sam Mendes, who directed the recently-opened West End musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, said he was “very much looking forward to taking up the reins again, and to working with Daniel Craig, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for a second time”.
Sam Mendes is to direct the 24th James Bond film, due for release in 2015
He added: “I am very pleased that by giving me the time I need to honor all my theatre commitments, the producers have made it possible for me to direct Bond 24.”
Skyfall made $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office and won two Oscars – singer Adele’s theme song of the same name won best original song and there was an award for sound editing.
It was also named the outstanding British film by BAFTA.
It was reported in May that Sam Mendes had resumed talks with producers about directing the next Bond film, having previously ruled himself out due to other commitments.
Sam Mendes is due to follow Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by directing Shakespeare’s King Lear at the National Theatre in January 2014.
The last film-maker to lead consecutive Bond movies was former editor John Glen, who directed five films in a row between 1981 to 1989.
Skyfall, the new James Bond theme sung by Adele, has topped the iTunes chart after being released online in the early hours of Friday morning.
It was number one within 10 hours of being released, overtaking last week’s official UK number one Gangnam Style.
The full single was released at 00:07 BST, after a 90 second clip was apparently leaked online this week.
The 23rd James Bond film, Skyfall – Daniel Craig’s third outing as 007 – is released in UK cinemas on 26 October.
Adele ended months of speculation over her involvement on Monday, when she posted a picture on Twitter, featuring the cover page of the sheet music for the Skyfall theme, bearing her name alongside that of longtime producer and co-writer Paul Epworth.
The “dark and moody” theme was intended to echo the narrative of the film.
Skyfall was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, and features a 77-piece orchestra.
Adele broke her silence on the track in an official message on the James Bond website on Monday: “When we recorded the strings, it was one of the proudest moments of my life.
“I’ll be back-combing my hair when I’m 60, telling people I was a Bond girl back in the day, I’m sure!”
Adele admitted she was a “little hesitant” about accepting the challenge because of the “instant spotlight and pressure” that came with a Bond song.
But, she said it ended up being a “no-brainer” after she fell in love with the script.
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The theme song for the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, sung by Adele, has been leaked on the internet.
Adele confirmed on Monday that she had recorded the theme for Skyfall and posted a picture of the song credits on her official Twitter page.
However, the track wasn’t due to be unveiled until 0:07 BST on Friday 5 October.
The same date marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the first James Bond film, Dr. No.
Some critics are saying the style of the leaked song reminds them of Dame Shirley Bassey, famous for Bond songs like Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever.
Adele’s confirmation that she had done the song came after months of rumours.
Her photo on Twitter appears to show the cover page of the sheet music for the Skyfall theme.
It lists the composers as A. Adkins, the singer’s full name, and P. Epworth – the producer and co-writer of her hit single Rolling In The Deep.
The music has been arranged by Epworth and film composer JAC Redford, whose credits include The Help, The Iron Lady and Wall-E.
In a statement, Adele said: “I was a little hesitant at first to be involved with the theme song for Skyfall.
“There’s a lot of instant spotlight and pressure when it comes to a Bond song.
“But I fell in love with the script and Paul (Epworth) had some great ideas for the track and it ended up being a bit of a no brainer to do it in the end.
“It was also a lot of fun writing to a brief, something I’ve never done which made it exciting. When we recorded the strings, it was one of the proudest moments of my life.
“I’ll be back combing my hair when I’m 60 telling people I was a Bond girl back in the day I’m sure.”
Skyfall was recorded at Abbey Road studios in London with a 77-piece orchestra.
Adele first hinted she would be working on the theme song during an interview on Jonathan Ross’s chat show on ITV1 in September 2011.
“I’m going back in the studio in November, fingers crossed,” Adele told Jonathan Ross.
“Well this is actually a theme, what I’ve got to do for, um… Wow. That’s really giving something away isn’t it?”
Shortly after Adele’s appearance on The Jonathan Ross show last September, her friend Tinie Tempah, said he’d spoken to Adele about her Bond recording.
Speaking at the Mercury Prize on 6 September last year the rapper said: “I was with her [Adele] yesterday, she was telling me about it and that’s amazing.
“I’ve always wanted to do a Bond theme. I’m a bit jealous actually. No, let’s leave it to her, it’s always a really big diva that does it right?”
Recent Bond themes have met with a poor reception.
Chris Cornell’s gritty You Know My Name, from Casino Royale, was described as “unexpectedly dull” and “forgettable”; while Jack White and Alicia Keys’ duet Another Way To Die, from Quantum Of Solace, was branded “a missed opportunity”.
Adele’s theme is the first to carry the same name as the film since Madonna’s Die Another Day in 2002.
The 23rd Bond film, Skyfall, is due for release on 26 October in the UK.
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Trailer of the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, has given fans their first glimpse of Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem’s blond villain in action.
Javier Bardem’s character, named Silva, is seen confronting a manacled James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, and is later shown disguised as a British policeman.
The trailer features actor Ben Whishaw as “The New Q” and explosive action in various London locales.
It also shows James Bond being “killed” in action and M typing up his obituary.
Played by Dame Judi Dench, 007’s boss is then seen being chastised by Ralph Fiennes’ character Gareth Mallory for losing a disc drive containing details of undercover British agents.
Subsequent scenes depict an explosion at MI6’s Thameside HQ and a Tube train plummeting into an underground vault.
The trailer reveals previously unknown plot points, one of which appears to have been drawn from Ian Fleming’s novel You Only Live Twice.
Trailer of the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, has given fans their first glimpse of Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem's blond villain in action
The 1964 book concludes with an obituary for James Bond written by M after the secret agent is believed to have been killed during a mission in Japan.
The latest trailer comes shortly after Daniel Craig’s cameo appearance during the Olympic Opening Ceremony in a short film that showed Bond escorting the Queen to the Olympic Stadium.
Audiences in the US were treated to a teaser of the new footage during NBC’s telecast of the London 2012 launch.
Other scenes unveiled on Tuesday include one showing British actress Naomie Harris, in her role as field agent Eve, “shooting” James Bond off the roof of a moving train in Turkey.
Skyfall marks Daniel Craig’s third big-screen appearance as Ian Fleming’s legendary spy.
Daniel Craig, 44, was previously seen in the role in 2006’s Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace in 2008.
Spanish actor Javier Bardem, 43, won the best supporting actor Oscar in 2008 for his villainous role in No Country for Old Men.
Javier Bardem, who is married to fellow Spaniard Penelope Cruz, was also Oscar-nominated in 2001 and 2011.
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