Bond is back – and so is Mendes

Sony Pictures has announced that Sam Mendes, who directed the most recent Bond film, Skyfall, will return to help Bond 24, which will hit cinemas in the UK in late October 2015 and in the US, two weeks later.

The next film in the franchise will also be written by the Skyfall writer, John Logan.

Skyfall took more than $1.1 billion at the box office worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of all time in the UK.

“Following the extraordinary success of Skyfall, we’re really escited to be working once again with Daniel Craig, Sam Mendes and John Logan,” the producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in a statement.

Mendes thanked the producers for giving him the time he needed to honour his theatre commitments. “I very much look forward to taking the reins again,” he enthused.

Gary Barber, from co-producers MGM, said he was thrilled to reunite the extraordinary talents of the director and star. “The incredible legacy of this 51 year old franchise continues to amaze,” he concluded.