It seems MGM’s untitled Bond 25 has been shaken and stirred by the sudden departure of Danny Boyle – so much so, in fact, that it’s now likely to miss its original release date.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the spy sequel had been slated for November 8th, 2019 – one week shy of Wonder Woman 1984 – though there have been rumors that MGM and Eon Productions were on the verge of delaying their spy sequel into 2020 even before Boyle pulled out (more on that later).
This presents the Powers That Be with two options: either Bond 25 will be nudged ever so slightly into 2020, or it’ll be delayed by a full year, as no previous James Bond movie has opened during the summer. From what we understand, this will largely hinge on how quickly Eon Productions and the franchise’s producers – namely Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson – are able to find a replacement, but as of right now, it’s all gone quiet on the 00 front.
That’s because, as THR points out, Bond 25 has ostensibly been ordered back to the drawing board, given Danny Boyle’s exit reportedly came down to a disagreement with 007 himself, Daniel Craig, about the Russian villain.
But the current James Bond star stood firm, meaning Boyle and John Hodge’s screenplay has been tossed. A previous draft was penned by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who are better known as the duo responsible for Craig’s previous Bond outings – Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.
So it seems the next port of call will be to settle on a script that pleases all parties, and only then will Bond 25 be able to edge into development. One thing’s for sure: that November 2019 due date is as good as gone, which will certainly open up some breathing space for Diana Prince.