By The next Bond film, temporarily referred to as Bond 25 until we have a better name, is getting closer and closer to production, but we still don’t have a director. That means the rumors are going to start to swirl, and Variety is reporting that Danny Boyle is the current front runner to take over the franchise from Sam Mendes who directed the last two films.
With Mendes MGM and Eon found a perfect balance of art house auteur and blockbuster director, so it should come as no surprise that they’d be looking at Boyle. The man hasn’t directed anything as action heavy or as big as a Bond film, but he has his own distinctive style and knows how to make films that work. He’s also pretty gritty in his films, which could work very well with Craig’s Bond.
For his part, Boyle has expressed interest in the past in directing Bond, and his slate is pretty clear at the moment. He has a project he’s working on, but nothing has been cast or finalized so that could be moved if Bond shoved its way in. Now, no formal offer has been made yet so this could all be up in the air (White Boy Rick director Yann Demange’s name is also being tossed around), but this might be pretty hard for Boyle to turn down.
Of course, what this really means is that everyone’s dream coupling of James Bond and Christopher Nolan. Of course Nolan has always said that he’d want a clean slate if he was going to do a Bond film so with Craig returning the likelihood of him coming on board was slim to none. As such, Boyle is a pretty good get if they get him.
Bond 25: Danny Boyle High on MGM’s List to Direct (EXCLUSIVE) [Variety]
