Years after walking away from Bond over creative differences, Danny Boyle looks back with regret at a lost script for Bond 25.
Danny Boyle in 2017. Photo by Maximilian Bühn. Licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0.
Danny Boyle has firmly shut the door on any future James Bond projects—even after the franchise’s creative upheaval. In a statement to Business Insider, the Oscar-winning director was unequivocal: “That ship has sailed.” His comments come after Amazon MGM Studios assumed creative control of Bond from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, whose stewardship has guided the character for decades.
Boyle was once at the centre of Bond’s cinematic future, having signed on in 2018 to direct what would become No Time to Die. That film, the 25th in the series and Daniel Craig’s swansong as 007, was eventually directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga after Boyle exited over creative differences.
At the heart of Boyle’s Bond departure was a screenplay penned by his longtime collaborator, John Hodge. Known for Trainspotting, Shallow Grave and The Beach, Hodge wrote a version that Boyle still speaks of with rare affection. “The thing I regret about that is the script was really good,” he said, adding that it had incorporated Bond’s death—a plot point Craig had negotiated as part of his contract. That version would have seen 007 face off against a Russian antagonist, but Boyle claimed producers didn’t grasp the script’s merit. “I don’t think they appreciated how good that script was,” he said.
Despite Amazon’s takeover in February and Broccoli and Wilson stepping back, Boyle has other priorities. He’s immersed in a new trilogy of 28 Years Later films, a continuation of his 2002 horror classic 28 Days Later. The first instalment debuts 20th June, with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple scheduled for 16th January 2026—and Boyle is hoping for a third. He even teased the possible return of Cillian Murphy, whose breakout role came in the original.
As for 007, Boyle remains philosophical: “Whatever happens with Bond going forward now is what it will be.”
Source: Business
A novelisation of that list script would be an interesting prospect. Always thought some Craig era tie in novels could have been a big seller.