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.
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"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.