While superhero and Star Wars movies may be the biggest releases in the film world, there's a franchise that was there before it all: James Bond. The 007 movies began back with 1962's Dr. No, and the spy property is still going strong today. Daniel Craig will take his final bow as James with the mysterious Bond 25 movie, although the project has had a few noticeable setbacks. Most famously, the departure of Danny Boyle as director.
Danny Boyle left the director's chair of Bond 25 in August of 2018, giving the generations of fans some panic. He was ultimately replaced by Cary Joji Fukunaga, but Boyle has kept largely quiet about the details surrounding his exit. Now he's opened up about the decision, saying:
We were working very, very well, but they didn’t want to go down that route with us. So we decided to part company, and it would be unfair to say what it was because I don’t know what Cary 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.
Is anyone else's FOMO going through the roof? Danny Boyle was happy with his work in the development of Bond 25, but we'll unfortunately never get to see it. It looks like he was doing in a direction that the Eon Productions wasn't comfortable with. As such, he departed the still unnamed project.
Danny Boyle's comments to Variety show the thought process that went behind his departure from the James Bond franchise. Given how iconic and beloved the property is, most directors would jump at the chance to get behind the camera. But when his creative vision was stifled by the larger company and franchise heads, he decided it would be better to walk away.
In his same comments, Danny Boyle also references his replacement, Cary Fukunaga. Boyle doesn't seem to bare any ill-will, and has spoken with Fukunaga about his new gig. The show must go on, and the James Bond franchise certainly isn't going to slow down too much due to Boyle's departure. That being said, it's unclear when production will finally start up, and Bond 25 will become more of a reality.
The pressure is certainly on for Bond 25, as it will be Daniel Craig's swan song as the iconic spy. Craig brought a hulking physical presence to the role, as well as a more realistic and flawed version of the character. Fans are eager to see how he'll be sent off, and how the current slate of films ends. It was originally unclear if the actor would return to the role, as he said he'd rather slash his wrists than do so after the long hours of Spectre.
Bond 25 is currently set to hit theaters on April 8th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
