The next Bond film, to be titled Spectre, is set to be the longest Bond film in the history of the long-running franchise.

Sam Mendes, who directed Skyfall, will be returning as director for the new film, and he is reportedly looking to best his previous effort of 143 minutes.

Three British cinemas in total have posted runtimes for Spectre, with Odeon and Vue both posting times of 160 minutes and Empire listing it as 155 minutes. Of course, they can't both be right, and it's also possible that the team behind the movie will shave off a few minutes right before the release of the film.

To date, the longest running Bond film is Casino Royale, which runs at 144 minutes. Next is Skyfall, which runs at 143 minutes. As a general rule, Bond films have gotten longer as time goes, with the main exception being the badly-received Quantum of Solace, which runs for 106 minutes.

Of course, some will suggest that a near three hours is a little long for an action flick. Even the well-received longer Bond films can feel a little drawn out at times.

Daniel Craig will return to the role of James Bond in the new film, with Christoph Waltz billed to play the villain, Franz Oberhauser. Other cast members include the likes of Monica Bellucci, Léa Seydoux and Stephanie Sigman. Ralph Fienne will also return in his role, this time as the new M.

Sam Smith also recently announced that he will be penning the theme song for the film. He has big shoes to fill considering how well-received Adele's Skyfall theme was.

Spectre will be released on Nov. 5.

Via: The Guardian

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