The Latest On James Bond's 25th Film: Danny Boyle To Direct, 007 Ties The Know

As more and more details are getting revealed about the latest instalment in the James Bond film series, fans are eager to welcome the 25th film starring everyone’s favorite spy. The working title of the film is Bond 24 – since Spectre was no. 24 in the 007 saga – and it will mark the return of Daniel Craig who will be portraying the legendary British spy with a licence to kill for the sixth time. Yet, according to rumors, fans are also in for some surprises.

Daniel Craig Returns as 007:

Since Sean Connery first portrayed Bond in the Eon series with Dr. No in 1962, a lot has changed in the Bond universe. When it all started, no one could quite predict that the spy created by author Ian Fleming in 1952 would be turned into one of the most lucrative film franchises of cinema history. James Bond has evolved into the longest non-stop running movie series of all time and has topped $7 billion in revenue, with Skyfall leading the way at over $1.1 billion and the latest instalment, Spectre, following at more than $880 million. Casino Royale completes the top 3 at $660 million.

Notice anything these films have in common? Yes, they are all Daniel Craig movies. The English actor has decided to return for Bond 25, despite his earlier very vocal opposition to portraying the legendary spy again – he’d famously stated in an interview that he’d rather “slit his wrists” than play Bond again and that he “needs to get on with his life”. It seems that Craig has had time to reconsider since then, making fans and the studio happy that one of the most iconic and successful Bond actors will return. However, the incredible support shown for the suggestion that Idris Elba, of Luther and more recently Marvel’s 2017 Thor: Ragnarok fame, be cast as the next Bond in the face of Craig’s refusal to return signals than fans may be ready for a lead change and ready for a black Bond at last.

Danny Boyle Set to Direct Bond 25:

This will not be one of the changes in the new movie, yet audiences are in for a few surprises. For one, Danny Boyle, the director behind Slumdog Millionaire, the 2009 sensation that won 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, is tipped to direct Bond 25. Boyle is also widely known for directing the 1996 cult film Trainspotting as well as the 2015 drama Steve Jobs, based on the life of Apple’s founder, and has a knack for introducing unconventional approaches to familiar stories. Whatever he decides to do with Bond, it will surely be from an angle that fans are not used to.

There also seems to be some truth to the rumor that the Bond 25 script will be penned by Boyle’s old pal John Hodge, who wrote Trainspotting. This only adds to the speculation that we will see Bond in unfamiliar circumstances. Other leaks point to Neal Purvis and Robert Wade as the writers currently working on the script, who have worked on the previous six Bond movies. Ben Whishaw will reprise his role as Q and Ralph Fiennes as the recently introduced M, while Naomie Harris will probably return as Moneypenny – although nothing is official yet.

James Bond: The Spy Who Married Me?

It is rumored that the film, which is set to be released in the US on November 8, 2019 (and even earlier in the UK, as per tradition), will see the British MI6 agent finally settle down, quit his spy career and get married – presumably to Dr Madeleine Swann, portrayed by Léa Seydoux, winner of the 2013 Palm D’ Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie will then see his bliss get blown over when his wife gets killed, which will force Bond to return to action and get revenge. Apart from this deviation of his usual womanizing routine, the new film will probably feature many of the usual 007 tropes, like his famous gadgets, the glamorous casino scenes that have landed Bond films from Dr. No to Casino Royale on Betway’s top 10 of gambling movie scenes, or the intense fighting and chase sequences that have inspired the newer generation of spy movies. Yet some insider rumors point to potential delays in the movie’s release – and MGM Studios that has the rights to the 007 franchise might be to blame.
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It is reported that after its CEO got fired last month, MGM might be looking to sell some of its catalogue, and apparently James Bond is one of them. The rights to the legendary spy alone are estimated to fall between $1 and $3 billion in value, which makes it great bait for other studios. Combined with Craig’s desire to end his 13-year stint as Bond (the longest in franchise history) with a “great” movie and the fact that production doesn’t seem to have started yet, this unconfirmed sale might mean a significant halt in development for Bond 25 or even changes that could take production a few steps back.
One thing is for certain: Whenever its premiere might be set or no matter how groundbreaking its premise, die-hard fans worldwide are already on the edge of their seats waiting for more on Bond’s 25th milestone.