Cary Fukunaga has been named director for the 25th installment of the 007 franchise, with Daniel Craig reprising his role — reportedly for the last time — as the iconic spy with the license to kill. Bond producers Eon made the announcement on Thursday, adding that production had been pushed back to March 2019 for a worldwide release date of Feb. 14, 2020, shifting Bond from its traditional winter slot (and some four months back from its previous launch date of Oct. 25, 2019).
Fukunaga's appointment marks the first time a non-British director has helmed a 007 film in its 65-year history.
“We are delighted to be working with Cary. His versatility and innovation make him an excellent choice for our next James Bond adventure," said Eon's Michael G.
Wilson and Barbara Broccoli in a tweet. The news ends weeks of speculation over who would take over the reigns of the next 007 after Danny Boyle stepped down from the film in August over "creative differences," according to Eon at the time. Several names, including Yann Demange, David Mackenzie and Bart Layton were reportedly among those being assessed for the role. Boyle's fallout with Eon has been widely rumored to have been over the script by longtime Boyle collaborator John Hodge and the choice of actors being lined up for villain roles.
Fukunaga, meanwhile, is best known for directing the acclaimed first season of HBO's True Detective and the Netflix feature Beasts of No Nation. He most recently directed the Netflix series Maniac, starring Emma Stone and Jonah Hill. Sam Mendes directed the previous two installments of the James Bond series, with 2012's Skyfall earning a franchise best $1.1 billion and 2015's Spectre bringing in $880 million. Universal is distributing the film internationally, while MGM, which is making the movie with Eon, is handling domestic rights.
OKAY.
ReplyDelete