Helmer Roger Michell walked away from production of the 22nd James Bond film in August 2006 according to Variety. Michell was reported to be in negotiations to direct the film to follow "Casino Royale" but ended his relationship with the film following "creative differences" with producers.

Now Michell has spoken to Metro to explain the reasons behind his departure so early in production.

"I got into a bit of a panic at the prospect. At that time, the film was due to start shooting in January, and I just felt this terrible pressure of scrambling to get a script together with the clock ticking. To go into a film like James Bond when you don't really know what's happening would be a recipe for hell."