Danny Boyle pulls out of directing new James Bond film over 'creative differences'

The Slumdog Millionaire director had confirmed in March that he was working on scripts for Bond 25, which is expected to be Craig’s last outing as 007.

• Bond 25 finally confirms Danny Boyle and sets filming date
• Director at the centre of Idris Elba Bond rumours dismisses “made up” reports
• Sam Heughan says he has “always wanted to play” James Bond

However on Tuesday, a tweet from the official James Bond account revealed that Boyle had exited the project.

“Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Daniel Craig today announced that due to creative differences Danny Boyle has decided to no longer direct Bond 25,” reads the tweet.

Boyle was set to tackle Bond after finishing directing an untitled Richard Curtis comedy starring Lily James, and had planned to start shooting at the end of 2018 for an October 2019 release.

He had been working on the script with John Hodge, a writer he has collaborated with for the movies Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary and The Beach, to name a few.

A script for Bond 25 had originally been written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade but it was reportedly set aside after Boyle and Hodge came onboard. It’s unclear what script will now be used.

Some saw Boyle as a clear choice to helm Bond given his Oscars success and his affection for the franchise, while others viewed 007 as “too safe” a project for the director, who is also known for his radical style with his films Trainspotting and 28 Days Later.

At this stage, we currently don’t know what “creative differences” led to Boyle’s departure, but Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh has his own ideas…

You've got competition, Daniel Craig...