Golden touch to revive Bond franchise

Goldeneye director Martin Campbell could be the man to get the Bond franchise back on track.

11:46 10 November 2004

Producers of the James Bond films are said to be in talks with director Martin Campbell to help get the franchise back on track.

Campbell was at the helm for Pierce Brosnan's first outing as the super-suave spy in the 1995 hit Goldeneye.

Bond had been away for six years when Goldeneye was released and Campbell is widely credited with overseeing a successful comeback.

With the public debate over who will play 007 in his 21st outing still raging, the producers are keen to push ahead with plans for a 2006 release.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Campbell, who also directed The Mask of Zorro, is now favourite to direct the film.

Earlier this year, Quentin Tarantino publicly stated his interest in directing a Bond film, but it looks as though the producers will stick to what they know.

Reports suggest that the script for Bond 21 is all but finished. Fans will be hoping that the next movie sticks more closely to the 007 traditions, rather than relying on the sometimes overly ambitious special effects of Die Another Day.