Danny Boyle appears to have confirmed he will write and direct the next James Bond film, ending months of speculation.
“I have got this idea, and John is writing it at the moment,” he said. “It all depends on how it turns out. It would be foolish of me to give any of it away.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He has also hinted at a possible timeline for the film, revealing he is due to start shooting a Richard Curtis script in six to seven weeks, then will move on to the Bond film at the end of the year.
The as-yet unnamed film, due out in November 2019, will be the 25th in the franchise, and Daniel Craig’s fifth and final outing as the famous British spy.
Boyle will take over from fellow Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, who was at the helm for Skyfall and Spectre. Many directors have been tipped for the job over the past year, including Christopher Nolan who was in talks to direct but ultimately counted himself out.
Boyle has amassed an eclectic filmography, from 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire, to 127 Hours and Steve Jobs, “and will no doubt take the franchise in a new direction again”, says The Independent.
Not everyone is enthused by the prospect of a Bond film directed by Boyle, however. Scott Mendelson in Forbes says: “Having an esteemed auteur at the helm is no guarantee of a great 007 flick.”
“Most of the examples of esteemed directors taking a crack at 007 resulted in divisive (or outright loathed) instalments,” he argues.