Danny Boyle Exits As Bond 25 Director Amid Creative Differences
by Mike Fleming Jr and Patrick Hipes
August 21, 2018 10:38am


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Danny Boyle, who had been set as director of the next installment of the James Bond franchise, is leaving the production, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said today on Twitter.

The franchise’s official social media handle said that Wilson, Broccoli and star Daniel Craig made the announcement, and that it was Boyle’s decision.


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James Bond
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@007
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.

10:10 AM - Aug 21, 2018
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It’s unclear how this might impact the distribution plans of the latest in the 007 franchise. New U.S. distributor MGM had already set a November 8, 2019 release date for the pic, which will bow first on October 25, 2019 in the UK as part of Universal’s new international and home entertainment rights deal.

Craig is back for his fifth film as 007, with a script that Boyle’s Trainspotting partner John Hodge wrote based on an idea by Boyle. Deadline revealed those plans, and we were told then that Boyle was only interested in participating if he could tell that specific story, his way. So it isn’t immediately clear if the producers will stick with the Hodge script, or if they go back to the version that was written by written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who penned Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre. That 007 story got shelved when the producers sparked to Boyle’s pitch.

It’s also back to the drawing board on filmmakers. At one time, the producers were looking closely at Blade Runner 2049’s Denis Villenueve, Hell or High Water‘s David Mackenzie, and ’71’s Yann Demange. Villenueve seems firmly rooted in Dune — he has Beautiful Boy star Timothee Chalamet set for the lead at Legendary.

Mackenzie is again available, after completing the Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce Scottish epic Outlaw King, and Demange finished the Matthew McConaughey-starrer White Boy Rick. It is unclear but seems likely the two will be back on the short list. Stay tuned.
We'll split this off into an indie Bond 25 thread when it gets more established.