Will Danny Boyle accept a license to thrill by directing Bond 25?
The producers of James Bond are rumored to be considering Danny Boyle to direct Bond 25. FanSided look at reasons why he might say yes or no.
Every day, the internet finds at least one thing at which to collectively sigh. It’s as constant as birth, death, and one particularly loud person at karaoke. (I know. I’m often that person). Last week, Fansided and outlets like Entertainment Weekly quoted that Nolan saying he “wouldn’t be the man” to direct Bond 25. Nolanites were disappointed and aghast. Cinephiles of most stripes wondered who it could now be, since most of the usual suspects have said no.
Then a new rumor broke on the internet, and there was optimistic murmuring. Danny Boyle! FanSided writer Josh Hill reported that Boyle “was being eyed to direct James Bond”!
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Remember: We’re discussing hearsay from a Hollywood Insider
This didn’t come from EON productions themselves, or Danny Boyle. Do I believe it’s accurate? Yes. But look at the wording of the pieces. “Eyeing him”. “High on their list”. That means they’re considering him. Have they talked to him? Did he say yes or no?
Let me go further. I like Danny Boyle. Trainspotting was a very good film that has aged better than many 90’s cultural touchstones. People still talk about 28 Days Later. He won an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire, giving him Oscar pedigree that makes him more comparable to Sam Mendes. I think there’s good reason to consider him.
Why Boyle Could Still Say No If Asked
There is also good reason to believe that he might not do it. Boyle has previously said that the least satisfying film he’s worked on was The Beach. You might have read about it before. Boyle cited his inexperience with working with a budget of that size as one of the reasons the film didn’t work . The Beach cost $50,000,000. That’s one third of what Casino Royale was estimated to cost, which has been the cheapest of the Craig era Bond films.
You have to go back to 1989 to find a 007 film with a budget smaller than The Beach. (It might actually still have cost more when you account for inflation). If anything has held him back before, it’s probably been a combination of two things. Timing, and the fact the Bond’s are modern blockbusters. Modern blockbusters are expensive. I could understand him saying no because he is worried about repeating past failures on a larger scale. Especially with audience expectations taken into account.
Now, take into consideration that Boyle has also attached himself to a new Richard Curtis-penned musical, expected to begin shooting this summer, and suddenly Boyle doesn’t seem like such a lock.
Why Danny Boyle Could Say Yes If Asked
Because he has directed one large scale spectacle that people all over the world saw: The 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. You know, the one in London where James Bond and the Queen jumped out of an airplane together? He already has a personal connection with Craig and 007 thanks to this. It also gave him his first career success working at the kind of budget level required of a Bond movie.
On a personal level, he might appreciate the challenge of doing a glossy action film on this scale.
On a practical level, film making has become extremely stratified. Most projects now fall into four categories: festival programmers with a budget of under $6,000,000, tentpoles that cost the GDP of a small nation, the occasional Oscar contender, or premium TV ala HBO.
Looking at his IMDB page since 2010, he’s directed three movies, and a smattering of TV
. Admittedly the Olympics is part of that. But his schedule looks to be free after the first three episodes of FX’s Trust mini-series. He is free at the right time frame, and he could probably use the work.
So, do you think Boyle will say yes or no? Do you think Boyle is the right man to direct Bond 25? Sound off in the comments below, and thank you for reading.