Director Danny Boyle may have decided to exit “Bond 25,” but that doesn’t mean he was happy about it. Reflecting on the situation in a recent Empire interview, he called it “a great shame.”
Boyle wasn’t with the Bond series very long. “Bond 25” was to be his first film in the franchise, and he was confirmed to have signed on in May. However, as Deadline reported at the time, he wanted to direct only if Universal Pictures went with his concept. He and his writing partner John Hodge did work on the script, but creative differences arose between them and producers, and in August, Boyle left the project.
Post-departure, Boyle told Empire that his Bond film would have been “really good,” but since producers weren’t on board, they parted ways. He added that “it is just a great shame.” In spite of how it played out, Boyle says he gave new “Bond 25” director Cary Joji Fukunaga his best wishes.
Film fans are still buzzing over today’s exciting announcement that director Cary Fukunaga will be taking over the reins of the James Bond franchise, and now, the filmmaker himself has given his first public comments about his sweet new gig.
In an interview with IndieWire, Fukunaga still seemed to be struggling to process the news. Though his remarks were brief, the new “Bond 25” director made it clear that this was a longtime goal that had been fulfilled — and now, he needs to get to work.
“I’ve wanted to do one of these [Bond films] for a long time, so that’s not new,” Fukunaga told IndieWire. “So right now it’s just kind of dealing with the shock that it’s real and the honor obviously and now the responsibility.”
Though Fukanaga has been working steadily for many years, and has directed a number of high-profile, well-received film and television projects (the celebrated first season of HBO’s “True Detective,” 2011’s adaptation of “Jane Eyre,” 2015’s Idris Elba-starring war drama “Beasts of No Nation,” upcoming Netflix series “Maniac”), he’s still a bit of a left-field choice for the straight-laced Bond franchise. His name wasn’t among the rumored contenders after initial director Danny Boyle abruptly bowed out of the job (reportedly over disagreements with the studio), and he’s been known to clash with execs over creative control, too (see his own shocking exit from the “It” film).
But the wildly inventive filmmaker is exactly the type of talent that the 007 franchise desperately needs. And with star Daniel Craig on his way out the door, the series is due for a martini-style shake-up anyway. We say, bring it on.
The as-yet-untitled 25th outing of the James Bond franchise is set to hit theaters on February 14, 2020.
“Bond 25,” the as-yet-untitled next outing in the venerable James Bond franchise, is set for a major overhaul after director Danny Boyle abruptly left the project last month. As producers scramble to search for a replacement, several frontrunners have apparently emerged.
Demange’s name should already be familiar to Bond fans, since he was also among the frontrunners vying to direct “Bond 25” back when the flick was searching for a helmer the first time around. While things didn’t work out then, it looks like he may have another good shot, especially after Variety reports that he impressed longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson at their initial meeting earlier this year. They’ll now schedule a screening of his upcoming film “White Boy Rick” to assess his storytelling skills, according to the trade.
As for the new names in the mix, Layton certainly has the experience in the heist film world, having helmed this year’s well-received crime drama “American Animals.” And Clarkson has the action angle covered, securing the director’s chair for the upcoming “Star Trek 4,” which will mark not only her feature directorial debut, but also the first time a female filmmaker has helmed a “Star Trek” movie.
That latter achievement may give Clarkson the edge here, since if she lands the “Bond 25” job, she will also be the first woman to direct a Bond flick, too. The British director has already helmed a bunch of beloved TV projects, including “Orange Is the New Black,” “Jessica Jones,” “Ugly Betty,” “House,” and “Dexter.” It would be exciting to see her bring her unique point of view to a franchise that’s in desperate need of some new blood.
Boyle was to have been that shot in the arm, but he backed out shortly before filming was to begin, using that old excuse of “creative differences.” Apparently he and screenwriting partner John Hodge butted heads with studio MGM over the script, which Boyle had insisted remain untouched. It seemed that everything was going smoothly — Variety reports that casting was just about to begin for a new Bond girl and villain — when the director decided to walk.
Now, it’s unclear if the film will meet its scheduled November 2019 release date. At this point, it’s not looking great, but if one of these three candidates can claim the job in the coming weeks, it’s possible that the flick could still roll out as planned.
The movie world was both shaken and stirred by the news that director Danny Boyle had abruptly left “Bond 25” over the age-old issue of “creative differences.” Now, producers must start their director search all over again, though there are already a few candidates at the front of the pack.
As for names that are being floated apropos of nothing (hey, that’s what the internet is for, right? Let the wild speculation commence!), Christopher Nolan seems to be a popular choice to take over Boyle’s chair. And critic Mark Harris suggested that a woman be given the keys to the franchise, with commenters chiming in to declare Kathryn Bigelow and Michelle MacLaren natural candidates.
Whoever takes over will likely be working with an existing script from longtime Bond screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (“Casino Royale,” “Quantum Of Solace,” “Skyfall,” “Spectre“). Though if any of the above candidates boards the project, expect them to add their own stamp to the screenplay.
“Bond 25” is currently slated to hit theaters on November 8, 2019. Stay tuned to see if/when that changes.
