For years, James Bond über-producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have been keepers of the 007 flame, quietly guiding each new installment to box office glory… save for Quantum of Solace.
It’s part of the reason why Christopher Nolan will never helm a Bond movie while Wilson and Broccoli are still in charge – unless they sell the IP to a major Hollywood studio like, say, Warner Bros., then the likes of Nolan will never enjoy full creative control.
And that seems to have been the sticking point between Danny Boyle and the Powers That Be, after the Trainspotting filmmaker was relieved of his Bond 25 directing duties due to “creative differences” with the studio.
It’s an excuse we’ve heard 10 times before, but at least according to The Telegraph, the real reason Boyle walked away was due to a dispute over the film’s Russian villain.
Things reportedly came to a head earlier this year when Polish actor Tomasz Kot was linked with the coveted part. Best known for his performance in 1950s-set romance Cold War, Kot was considered to be a “left-field” choice for a Bond villain, ultimately fuelling a disagreement between Daniel Craig and Danny Boyle, the latter of whom pushed to have Kot on board Bond 25.
But Craig stood firm, and the fact that MGM’s official response name-dropped the 007 star is telling, as one anonymous source tells The Telegraph:
Craig has a big say in all the casting decisions. None of the Bond girls have been chosen without his say so. For example, he chose Eva Green to be the Bond girl when it came to the final four for Casino Royale and that has been the case for all the Bond girls he has worked with.
EON Productions has now been left scrambling for a replacement, and it’ll need to find one soon if Bond 25 is to keep its current November 8th, 2019 release date.