A new rumor suggests that director Danny Boyle may soon take the helm of the next James Bond movie, more popularly known as Bond 25. Development on 007’s next big screen outing has been slow moving. Following the 2015 release of Spectre — which debuted to lukewarm reviews but still managed to rake in a cool $880 million at the global box office — the long-running franchise found itself at a crossroads. After having helmed both Spectre and Skyfall, director Sam Mendes chose to leave the series to pursue other projects. Franchise star Daniel Craig became the primary enigma, however, as he remained noncommittal to returning to the role for nearly two years after Spectre hit theaters.
Craig finally confirmed that he'd be coming back to play 007 for a fifth time last August, though he did stress that this next outing would be his last with the franchise. Looking to send the actor out on a high note, the focus then turned to finding Bond 25's director. Big names like Denis Villeneuve and (of course) Christopher Nolan were floated as candidates, but despite both directors having expressed interest in the franchise previously, it seems that MGM studios has now set it sights on someone else.
Related: Christopher Nolan ‘Categorically’ Rules Himself Out as Bond 25 Director
According to a new report from Variety, Danny Boyle is at the top of MGM's wishlist for the Bond 25 directing gig. The report also states that no formal offer has been made to the filmmaker just yet, and that Boyle had been hoping to helm a project for Working Title, a subsidiary production company for Universal Pictures. He apparently has a "keen interest in the project and has always wanted to direct a Bond film", however, so the Working Title film could always be bumped back for 007. An additional report from THR's Borys Kit confirms that Villeneuve, David Mackenzie and Yann Demange (the previous top candidates for the Bond 25 director's chair) are no longer in consideration.
Boyle, of course, is one of the most talented filmmakers in Hollywood, having first made waves for his 1996 cult hit, Trainspotting. He's since gone on to helm a number of successful films, including 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and 127 Hours. Boyle even won a Best Director Oscar back in 2008 for his masterful work on Slumdog Millionaire.
What do you think of the possibility of Danny Boyle directing the 25th James Bond film? Is he the right man (or woman) for the job, or do you fall into the 'Chris Nolan or die' camp? Sound off in the comments.
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