Sam Mendes considered quiting `Skyfall`

With Bond franchise facing an uncertain future, Sam Mendes says he thought of walking out of making `Skyfall`.

Los Angeles: With Bond franchise facing an uncertain future following the financial trouble of MGM, Sam Mendes says he thought of walking out of making `Skyfall`.

Mendes, an Academy-award-winning filmmaker, was brought to work on the next superspy movie by its actor Daniel Craig and the director says the wait to direct the movie became scary after a point because he was refusing other work, the Hollywood Reporter said. "I was tempted to go. I said to Barbara, `Can you give me some assurance this is going to happen?` She said, `To be honest, I can`t.` But I had a feeling it would be sorted out, so I took the risk of turning down other work and just waiting," Mendes said. The director now regards the forced break as a gift. "While we sat around waiting, we quietly carried on with the script, and as a consequence we ended up with a much better draft," he added. From fall 2009 into 2010, Mendes, 47, refined the script with Purvis and Wade, and also persuaded nine-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins to join the team. Mendes was brought on board by 007 star Daniel Craig after the duo met over drinks. Mendes, ran into Craig at a birthday party for their mutual friend Hugh Jackman in New York City. "It was in the evening, and Sam turned up late. I hadn`t seen him for a long time and he apologized for saying to Entertainment Weekly that I wouldn`t be a good Bond! He was also complimentary about Casino Royale. And, very selfishly, I started picking his brains," Craig recalls. As their conversation escalated, Craig discussed how he wanted to restore a sense of humor to Bond, which was mostly absent from 2006`s `Casino Royale` and 2008`s `Quantum of Solace`. "Sam`s ideas started coming out, and I`d had a few too many drinks and I completely overstepped the line and said, `Why don`t you do it?` And Sam said, `Why not?`," Craig added. Not only the director, but Craig also convinced Spanish actor Javier Bardem to play Raoul Silva, a flamboyant and probably gay former agent. PTI