Trade press speculate Bond 25 release date slips to 2020
24-Aug-2018 • No Time To Die
Leading film industry trade publications, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, both ran articles today claiming that the release date for Bond 25 will likely slip from its announced October/November 2019 window to some time in 2020 due to the departure of director Danny Boyle with just 14 weeks until the planned start of principal photography.
Variety: "After Boyle exited, MGM and Eon, the film’s backers, sent out the word that they are looking for a writer or a writer-director to come on to the film, according to insiders. The companies are not simply eyeing a director for hire, which signals that a major rewrite will have to be undertaken. It is also telling that the producers seem more eager to find a screenwriter than a person willing to slide behind the camera. That has many believing that the Boyle script will be scrapped. It may also be a sign that Broccoli and Craig aren’t interested in returning to an earlier draft that was submitted by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade."
"However, the need for a new script makes that start date difficult to achieve, according to rival studio executives. Bond films are notoriously complex productions, involving pricey set pieces that are often shot in exotic destinations. They require a rigorous pre-production process that takes months. Any delay in filming could have a domino effect because locations that have been scouted and secured could fall out of place, wrecking havoc on the rigidly controlled shooting schedule. In order to hit Bond 25’s Nov. 9, 2019, release date, rival executives say that MGM and Eon must be in production no later than January. "
The Hollywood Reporter: "With the abrupt exit of director Danny Boyle, the next installment in the James Bond film franchise — the untitled Bond 25 — will miss its Nov. 8, 2019, release date in North American theaters, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. It's possible Bond 25 may not hit theaters until late 2020, according to sources. No recent Bond film has ever opened in summer. Even before Boyle departed, there was talk of pushing the movie's release to early 2020."
