Oscar-winning British filmmaker Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, and 127 Hours) has quit as the director of the as-yet-untitled Bond 25, citing “creative differences” as the reason for his departure.
The official twitter page of the 007 franchise announced the news yesterday via a tweet that read; “Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Daniel Craig today announced that due to creative differences Danny Boyle has decided to no longer direct Bond 25.”
It is an unfortunate blow for Bond 25 to lose such an accomplished and high-profile director but, as one of the biggest and most well-established film franchises of all time, there is sure to be a long list of filmmakers ready to jump in and take the reins.
Boyle’s involvement was confirmed in May of this year; with the creative team behind the franchise announcing that “Daniel Craig’s 5th outing as 007 will be directed by Academy Award-winning Danny Boyle from an original screenplay by John Hodge.”
Danny Boyle and John Hodge are long-time collaborators, having worked with each other on several productions, including Shallow Grave (1994), Trainspotting (1996) and its sequel T2 Trainspotting (2017), The Beach (2000) and Trance (2013).
Production on Bond 25 was set to begin on December 3rd 2018 at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, with a scheduled release date of November 9th, 2019. However, it now seems likely that both the production and release dates of Bond 25 will be delayed as they search for a director to replace Danny Boyle.
With Boyle out, social media is ablaze with fans discussing who they think should replace him, with Blade Runner 2049’s Denis Villeneuve, Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s Christopher McQuarrie and The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow being some of the most popular choices amongst fans. There are also some who want to see Martin Campbell return to the franchise after already helming two excellent Bond movies in Goldeneye and Daniel Craig’s first outing as 007, Casino Royale. However, due to the fact he is already in pre-production on two separate projects, it seems very unlikely.
As of yet, no replacement has been announced, but it will need to be someone whose vision fits in with that of Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, who keep a famously fierce control of one of cinema's most successful franchises.
