Getting things started on the new James Bond movie has been far more difficult than anyone could have anticipated, with Daniel Craig seemingly going back and forth regarding his return (before confirming he would be back) and trouble with securing a director. When it was announced Oscar-winner Danny Boyle (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) would be handling directing duties things finally seemed to be on the right track, that is until he and writer John Hodge (TRAINSPOTTING) split from the project last year over reported creative differences that would’ve done bold things with 007.
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Things have steadied since then, with TRUE DETECTIVE and BEASTS OF NO NATION’s Cary Joji Fukunaga tapped to direct with longtime Bond writers Robert Wade and Neal Purvis back on the script (with some tinkering by Scott Z. Burns). Now after a few months, Boyle has opened up about the matter to Empire and said that though he harbors no ill will against anyone it is a “great shame" he had to leave.
“What John [Hodge] and I were doing, I thought, was really good,” Boyle responded. “It wasn’t finished, but it could have been really good.” The filmmaker added that he ‘learned quite a lot about himself’ from the experience, and has no ill feeling towards Fukunaga or the project's current iteration. “We were working very, very well, but they didn’t want to go down that route with us,” he explained on his departure. “So we decided to part company, and it would be unfair to say what it was because I don’t know what Cary [Joji Fukunaga] is going to do. I got a very nice message from him and I gave him my best wishes… It is just a great shame.”
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There have been plenty of rumors to come out about the new Bond movie since Boyle’s departure, including about his planned approach, with some unfounded reports claiming the director planned to kill off the English spy. More recent rumors regard the film’s title, which was reported to be “Shatterhand” before producer Barbra Broccoli smacked it down. Finally, it’s been reported that newly-minted Oscar winner Rami Malek (BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY) has been in talks to play the movie’s villain, but nothing has come of that.
While I do think Fukunaga will do a fine job with the movie and deliver something visceral and unique, Boyle’s could've been really something had it been as interesting as he lets on. Whatever he initially pitched was clearly cool enough to land the gig, but perhaps he just wanted to take it places the rest of the crew didn’t agree with. At least Boyle is at that point in his career where he can move on and amicably pass the wheel over to someone else without stewing over it. We have another movie of his to look forward to this year, YESTERDAY, so anyone who needs their Boyle fix doesn’t have to wait for the next Bond movie to get it.
Boyle’s YESTERDAY is in theaters this year and BOND 25 is in theaters April 2020.