Well, I’ve got it as confirmed as it can be: Sam Mendes is the definite director of Bond 24 and most likely Bond 25. He’s in, after exhaustive negotiations. Mendes obviously got what he wanted and will be a rich, rich man when his time with James Bond is over. The director of “American Beauty” did want to keep his theater career alive and will, even with the long planning for the Bond movies. But “Skyfall” was too much of a hit to let him go, and really no one else compared to him. Mendes and Daniel Craig will see “Bond” through to the end.

As for Adele singing more theme songs, that is not at all done or arranged or even talked about, I am told. Adele has to get cracking on her new album first.

With the possible exception of “After Earth,” Sony and Amy Pascal are rocking with the Bond movies, “Zero Dark Thirty,” and a summer – fall 2013 slate including “White House Down” and the comedy “This is the End.”

Last night “After Earth” played for the press at 5pm and at a premiere at 7 (really 7:45pm) at the Ziegfeld. Bruce Willis showed up to support M. Night Shyamalan, who keeps getting to make big budget movies despite no feel for them whatsoever. I did get to meet Will Smith’s dad, who is a very nice, older gentleman, also named Will, lanky and tall like Will, with members of the extended Smith family from Philadelphia.

Do people think about what they’re doing or saying before they do it or say it? I just received a press release from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Washington DC for an “All White Charity Event.” They’re honoring Washington Redskins receiver Pierre Garcon, who is Haitian, in a city that is predominantly African American. I know they mean everyone should dress in white, but it’s badly worded and executed. Sean Puffy Combs used to have Fourth of July picnics like this but he just wrote “Dress in White.” I think he borrowed the idea from Ashford and Simpson’s great parties in Connecticut. Will there be a lot of support in Washington for an “All White Charity Event”? This reminds me: in Cannes, we noticed at the end of the Coen brothers’ “Inside Llewyn Davis” there was a “Kosher for Passover” sign at the very end of the credits, with a list of made up rabbi’s. At the reception following, the main food was a large pig being carved around its snout.

I’m kind of looking forward to this comedy from Seth Rogen and friends, aka the former Judd Apatow crew. Many of the Freaks and Geeks, plus Craig Robinson and Mindy Kaling from The Office, Michael Cera, and — get this– Rihanna– do a send up of end of the world movies playing themselves gathered at James Franco’s fictional home in New Orleans for a party. Emma Watson, who destroys her Hermione persona in “The Bling Ring,” swings an ax at it in this movie. Watch the clip.

Hi ho! “The Lone Ranger” is coming with Johnny Depp playing Tonto. This is kind of a dicey issue, so Disney is getting out in front of any problems. Either Disney chief Alan Horn or p.r. whiz Zenia Mucha, two very smart people, have come up with some good ideas. First of all, the big “Lone Ranger” premiere on June 22nd will benefit the American Indian College Fund. The premiere is going to be at Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim complete with red carpets and celebrities.

In a statement, Disney chairman Alan Horn says: “We’ve had a terrific collaboration with the Native American community throughout the production of Disney’s ‘The Lone Ranger.” With the world premiere of this exciting film at hand, we are pleased to commemorate the occasion by supporting the American Indian College Fund.”

Here’s more from the release:

Tickets for the premiere event have been donated by Disney to the American Indian College Fund, which will offer them for sale to the public; tickets will be available for purchase at https://community.collegefund.org/the-lone-ranger, starting today. Because Disney is also underwriting the entire cost of the premiere, 100% of the revenues received by the American Indian College Fund for the tickets will be used for scholarships and other support for Native American students. Tickets are priced at $1000.

Fund President, Cheryl Crazy Bull, stated: “The Fund is pleased to be the beneficiary of this event because our scholarships are an investment in a healthier, more prosperous future for tribal students and their families.  We are poised to serve over 20,000 American Indian and Alaska Native students attending the tribal colleges across this country.  Currently our scholarships serve less than 21% of those students so we appreciate any opportunity to bring resources into our scholarship program.”

So: good news. There’s going to be sensitivity on “Lone Ranger.” This should ease things a bit. PS The bigger issue will be how accessible Depp is at the premiere. We were just reminiscing the other day about his “Rum Diary” premiere– one of the most unpleasant New York premieres ever.

News from the pop-rock world: Elvis Costello and the Roots are indeed releasing a secret album they made together. “Wise Up Ghost” comes from Blue Note Records on September 17th. Expect a whole week of Elvis, I hope, with the Roots on “Jimmy Fallon.” Elvis produced the album with Questlove from the Roots.

From the release:

“Most of the sessions took place in secret at Feliz Habitat Studios in the dead of night, while others were in plain sight at Costello’s Hookery Crookery Studios. Elvis described the record as “the shortest distance between here and there” and containing “both rhythm and what is read”. Ahmir says, “It’s a moody, brooding affair, cathartic rhythms and dissonant lullabies. I went stark and dark on the music, Elvis went HAM on some ole Ezra Pound shit.”

…Ringo Starr is releasing an e-book called “Photograph” on June 10th. It costs $9.99. A physical edition from Genesis Publishing is due at Christmas, which will cost considerably more. “Photograph” will be similar to Ringo’s “Postcards from the Boys,” one of my prized possessions. The e-book has according to its release:

“The multi-touch edition allows readers to pick up, play with and zoom in on Ringo’s photographs as they scroll through his memories. Photograph features 69 audio stories and 11 exclusive videos, with music, animation and new interviews from Ringo Starr. Ringo’s first multimedia edition is a must-have for fans of The Beatles and anyone passionate about modern music.”

He’s in, he’s out. That’s been the story with “Skyfall” director Sam Mendes about returning for more James Bond. Now I am told that Daniel Craig has persuaded Mendes to return for Bonds 24 and 25, each written by John Logan as a two parter. Mendes was denying this up to two weeks ago. Inquiries were made, and Mendes insisted that he wanted to stick with his theater schedule. Mike Fleming broke the story a little while ago that Mendes was being wooed back.

But I can tell you that it’s because of Craig, who wanted him to reproduce the “Skyfall” magic. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have been in London trying to get the Mendes-Craig pieces put together. They want to get started on Bond 24 tout suite. The sooner, the better. The two movies together can soak up five years’ worth of work. And then even Craig will be done as James Bond.

When “Skyfall” went through the roof last year I told you Mendes would return. But between money– always it’s money– and his desire to be a big big power in London and New York theater, it was bleak. A rumor floated last week that Christopher Nolan would direct the next Bond, but that fell flat. It’s always been Mendes. “Skyfall” made $1.1 billion worldwide.

What else? Will Adele return? Maybe. But I’d think they have many others to wrangle for a Bond theme song. Some big stars like Sting and Elton John have never done one. And then there’s newcomers like Emeli Sande. So we shall see. And Dame Judi Dench? I wish they could un-kill her M.

Uncharacteristically elegant for CBS Daytime: the network saluted the late Jeanne Cooper today with a whole hour devoted to the actress, the star of “The Young and the Restless” for 40 years. She died three weeks ago (May 8) at age 84 after a brief illness. The hour long special shows clips of her from the show and photos from her movie career that preceded joining the fledgling soap in 1973, six months after it first aired. All the show’s main actors are included, and some that have left for other programs. Also included are Cooper’s three adult children including actor son Corbin Bernsen. Most moving are the tributes at the beginning and end from actress Jess Walton, who played Cooper’s foil for three decades. Jeanne Cooper had quite a run, really extraordinary. Even as soaps are struggling to stay on the air– especially at CBS where they cancelled two in the last three years–this was an elegant pause in the ratings war. Now all the great older actors from soaps are gone, and the shows are overpopulated by young people — many of whom cannot act even the slightest bit. It was nice to year the younger folks on “Y&R” reminisce about Cooper’s mentoring.