Danny Boyle top choice to direct Bond 25

Danny Boyle is reportedly the frontrunner to helm the next James Bond movie.

According to movie insiders, the Slumdog Millionaire director is top of Bond bosses' wish list, though sources tell Variety no formal offer has been made.

Daniel Craig has signed on to play 007 for the fifth time in Bond 25, despite his earlier protestations that he’d rather “slash my wrists” than play the spy again, though director Sam Mendes bowed out of the franchise following 2015’s Spectre.

Danny has been on producers’ radar since 2012’s Skyfall, also directed by Sam, and he came close that same year when he shot the James Bond spoof starring Daniel and Queen Elizabeth II for the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.

However, in a previous interview with movie site Collider, he ruled himself out of directing a full-length Bond feature.
“They’re not really for me. The budgets are too big,” he said. “I’m better working at a lower level of money really because I like that discipline of not having enough money to pull off whatever it is you want to pull off. So I wouldn’t be the best person to do those. No. And anyway, I’ve made a Bond film with a great stellar cast.”

If bosses fail to land the Oscar-winning director, insiders tell Variety that White Boy Rick filmmaker Yann Demange is also being considered for the job.

Danny is currently filming episodes for upcoming FX series Trust, which centres on the kidnapping of oil heir John Paul Getty III. It stars Brendan Fraser, Donald Sutherland, and Hilary Swank, and is slated for a 25 March (18) release.