MGM chief says Bond 24 "within the next 3 years"

The James Bond movie franchise celebrated its 50th anniversary in record-breaking style last year with Skyfall, but plans for the continuation of the series were dealt a blow earlier this month when it was revealed that Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes had opted against a return for the next instalment. Sony and MGM were originally targeting a late 2014 release date for Bond 24, but with the search now on for Mendes' replacement, it seems we might have to wait a little longer for 007's return to the screen.

"We are very excited about the franchise, we look forward to announcing a director soon," said MGM Chairman and CEO Gary Barber during a conference call with investors yesterday (via Reuters). "We are currently developing the screenplay and working with our partners. We look forward to developing the script soon and signing a director. We are hoping within the next 3 years it will be released."

Skyfall screenwriter John Logan is busy penning the script for 007's next big screen adventure, and there have been reports that Bond 24 will be the first of a two-part story shot back-to-back with Bond 25. This certainly seems plausible given Mendes' reluctance to commit to the project, as well as the fact that Daniel Craig has hinted that his time as the super spy is drawing to an end, despite the actor having recently signed a two-picture deal.