Sam Mendes is back for more Bond.
The Oscar-winning director who helmed "Skyfall" to great acclaim and over $1 billion at the worldwide box office will direct the untitled 24th James Bond film, Sony and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer said Thursday.
Daniel Craig will once again return as 007 while John Logan, who did similar duties on "Skyfall," will write the script. Sony and MGM are clearly sticking with what worked before — and why not.
The film is set for release in U.K. theaters on October 23, 2015 and in U.S. theaters on November 6, 2015.
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The choice of Mendes was a bold one. He was best known for winning the Best Director Oscar for "American Beauty" and for his work on searing dramas like "Revolutionary Road" and "Jarhead."
In "Skyfall," he proved himself to be adept at staging action sequences that saw Bond dueling on trains, tube stations and even the Scottish Highlands. He was also lauded for bringing more emotional depth to the skirt-chasing super spy.
However, Mendes had publicly said that he would not return to the Bond universe, preferring to devote himself to other projects like the recent West End musical version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
Time changed his mind, apparently.
"I am very pleased that by giving me the time I need to honour all my theatre commitments, the producers have made it possible for me to direct Bond 24. I very much look forward to taking up the reins again,” Mendes said in a statement.