Both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are this morning saying that Sam Mendes is in negotiations to direct the 23rd Bond film.
The Road to Perdition and Away We Go helmer is apparently the surprise choice to take on the franchise, as MGM, the studio which owns the Bond name, shop themselves about Hollywood for a suitor. He would be the first Oscar winning helmer to take control of the franchise.
Mendes has worked with Daniel Craig before on 'Perdition', and is also developing an adaptation of the much-loved graphic novel Preacher. But the trades are saying that if he did indeed direct the film, it could start shooting this summer, meaning he'd have to begin preproduction sharpish. At the moment this is still just a rumour, but when the trades publish a story, there is always, at the very least, a fraction of truth behind them.