Bond 25 Might Land Another High-Profile Director

Just a few days after Christopher Nolan officially confirmed that he won't direct the next installment of the James Bond movie franchise, another significant contender has surfaced.

Variety reports that Trainspotting and 127 Hours director Danny Boyle is "high on MGM's list" to helm Bond 25. According to the report, Boyle has always wanted to direct a Bond flick and he has "keen interest" in the project. MGM and Eon have long considered Boyle for Bond going back to 2012's Skyfall and 2015's Spectre. Sam Mendes (American Beauty) directed both of those flicks, which became the highest-grossing films in the series. 

However, Mendes said he was finished with the 007 franchise and the producers have spent a lot of time trying to figure out the next step. Sources said that '71 director Yann Demange was a top choice for the gig, but the studio wants to make one last run at a well-known name. 

Boyle is currently developing a different movie for Working Title, but there's no cast attached yet, meaning that he could push that film back to make time for Bond. He most recently directed the limited series Trust for FX and he won an Oscar for directing 2008's Slumdog Millionaire.

There's been a lot of uncertainty around Bond 25. Back in August, Daniel Craig finally signed on for his fifth performance as Bond, but that only happened after he said he'd rather "slash [his] wrists" than come back to the franchise. 

Bond 25 is currently slated to hit theaters on Nov. 8, 2019.