The particulars ofJames Bond 25have been finalized, and everything’s now officially official. After years of rumors and guesswork, it was announced that EON Productions—the owners of theBondrights—has settled on Universal Pictures to handle international distribution ofBond 25, while the previously announced MGM Studios will handle domestic distribution through their joint venture with Annapurna Pictures. Moreover, Oscar-winningSlumdog MillionairefilmmakerDanny Boylehas been confirmed to be directing the film from an original screenplay byJohn Hodge(Trainspotting). Filming will begin on December 8th and the untitled sequel will be released in the U.K. on August 24, 2025 and in the U.S. on August 02, 2025. And yes,Daniel Craigis back.
There are some surprising bits in this press release. First, the international distribution. Sony Pictures handled distribution of the last fourBondmovies, fromCasino RoyaletoSpectre, and while EON opted to go with MGM and Annapurna for domestic distribution when the deal expired, many assumed Sony would still be handling international distribution. The switch to Universal is a huge blow to Sony, which would have garnered some serious coin had they maintained the international distribution rights.
Then there’s the start date. EON began the director hunt last fall, with names likeYann Demange(’71) andDavid Mackenzie(Hell or High Water)on the shortlist. But in February,Boyle emerged as a surprise contenderhaving pitched an original idea he hatched with hisT2: Trainspottingwriter John Hodge. The deal was that Hodge would write that script, and if the producers sparked to it, that’s the movie that would get made instead of the existingBond 25script byBondveteransNeal PurvisandRobert Wade. It appears everyone liked what Hodge put together, so Danny Boyle is now definitely making aBondmovie.
But Boyle will be pulling a bit of a Spielberg here. He’s shooting a smaller scale original musical for Working Title this summer starringKate McKinnon, and it sounds like he’s going to very quickly complete post-production on that film while simultaneously prepping the herculean effort that isBond 25. TheBond 25filming date was likely non-negotiable since EON has promised that Fall 2019 release date, so it’ll be interesting to see how Boyle juggles both productions.
This kind of challenge isn’t exactly unique for Boyle, however, as he previously shot principal photography on his 2013 thrillerTrance, then put that aside for a year so he could create and direct the London Olympics Opening Ceremony, after which he completed post-production onTrance.
As a big fan of Boyle’s work (check outT2—it’s really good!) I’m extremely excited to see what he puts together here. And here’s hoping he brings cinematographerAnthony Dod Mantlewith him.
