It hasn't been that long since we learned that director Danny Boyle had left the director's chair on the latest James Bond film, due to the infamous diagnosis of "creative differences." And yet, it hasn't taken Hollywood long to start thinking up potential candidates to fill the directorial void that looms over Bond 25's December start date. The first of what will probably be many names is none other than Christopher McQuarrie, as pointed out in the following tweet:
While Christopher McQuarrie would indeed be an interesting hire, what with his pedigree on Mission: Impossible's last two films being as sterling as ever, we have to double down on the insistence of Variety's Justin Kroll that fans should take this rumor with as much salt as they can stand in their martinis. The only official word we have at this moment is that the position is open, with the suggestion above sounding more like a whisper rather than a proclamation. Still, it has us wondering, do we want to see Christopher McQuarrie direct a James Bond film, much less Bond 25?
On the one hand, the man affectionately referred to as McQ could definitely handle the action and even story components of Bond 25 like a duck to water. Folks have even gone as far as to point out that if the latest 007 adventure needed some story polishing, that would be no problem for Christopher McQuarrie, as he's worked on Mission: Impossible - Fallout with barely a screenplay to go by. With a draft presumably most of the way completed, if not totally finished, from Danny Boyle's handpicked writer, John Hodge, all McQuarrie would have to do is shape the script in such a way that he and Eon Productions could agree on.
On the other hand, working off of a Bond 25 script already in place might not only make the current draft into a confusing mess, it might also dissuade Christopher McQuarrie from working on it in the first place. While he's known for doing uncredited punch-up work on Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, he eventually got to do his own thing with both of his films that followed. So, really, McQuarrie would kind of be demoting himself in the name of the Bond label - a label that, no matter how prestigious you are, can lead to some massive blowback if you don't get it right. Just ask Sam Mendes, post Spectre.
Ultimately, no matter what we think of Christopher McQuarrie taking the reins on Bond 25, there's a good chance that this rumor won't pan out at all. With Mission: Impossible - Fallout persuading not only Paramount, but also Tom Cruise, that McQuarrie is the guy to make Mission: Impossible 7 into the capper for his trilogy, those are two hard forces to say no to. Not to mention that McQuarrie feels like the type of guy who would put a premium on such loyalty. Unless MGM and Eon Productions make him an offer so lofty he'd be a fool to reject it, this could be one of those rumors that fades into the smoke - a fleeting fancy of what people would like to see, rather than what's actually in the works.
Bond 25 is currently slated to start shooting in December, and it's set to screen for American audiences on November 8, 2019. Should any movement be made with these rumors surrounding Christopher McQuarrie's potential directorial duties on the picture, we'll report back as soon as we hear the buzz.
