James Bond 25 is once again without a director following a shock announcement.
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On Tuesday (August 21), Daniel Craig and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson released a joint statement confirming that Danny Boyle had left the next sequel mere months before production was to begin this December.
"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," a tweet from the Bond Twitter account read.
Boyle had been linked to the project for months before it was finally confirmed in March that he would direct a Bond screenplay from the writer of his previous films The Beach and T2 Trainspotting, John Hodge.
The filmmaker later acknowledged that he dragged his feet before signing on as Spectre director Sam Mendes' successor because he doubted whether he could pull off making the action blockbuster.
"I like watching big films but I don't think I'm necessarily good at making them," he said recently. "Then I thought, 'No, you shouldn't think like that'."
Talk will now naturally turn to who will take over what many believe will be Daniel Craig's final outing as 007. Christopher Nolan frequently turns up in these conversations, but he "categorically" ruled himself out of directing Bond 25 earlier this year.
Very little has leaked about what Boyle and producers had planned for Bond 25 prior to his departure from the film. In April, Naomie Harris admitted that she wasn't even sure if she'd be invited back to play Moneypenny.
Digital Spy did recently learn that Mark Strong likely will not be involved in the film, in spite of rampant rumours. However, Jeffrey Wright has teased that Bond fans may not have seen the last of American CIA agent Felix Leiter, from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.
The currently-untitled James Bond 25 is scheduled (for now) to hit US cinemas on November 8, 2019, with a "traditional earlier release" in the UK.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
