Bond 25 recently lost its director in Danny Boyle and it is looking like the film will not make its production start date, regardless if they soon find a replacement director or not. But there is some good news. It looks like they have already compiled a shortlist of directors. According to the latest reports, Edgar Wright, David Mackenzie, Jean-Marc Valle, and Yann Demange are all in the running for the gig. More on the story below.

Deadline says all eyes are on these four. However, the likelihood for some of them is slim. Jean-Marc Vallee, whose credits include the award-winning Dallas Buyers Club and Big Little Lies, and the critically acclaimed Sharp Objects, is unlikely to sign on because of scheduling.

Meanwhile, Mackenzie and Demange should be very familiar names to those paying close attention to the story. The two were previously named as frontrunners when the gig was opened. Mackenzie, whose credits include Hell Or High Water, is currently in pre-production for the limited series Gemstone, while Demange could be a possibility.

However, Shaun of the Dead director Wright is a top prospect. The filmmaker behind the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and Baby Driver has said that he wanted to direct a James Bond film. It’s not that he wouldn’t direct a franchise film. Marvel’s Ant-Man was his closest; however, like Boyle with Bond 25, Wright left Ant-Man due to creative differences.

Now just because these are the latest names doesn’t exactly mean that any of them will officially sign on. Remember, Danny Boyle was hired and his name did not appear on any of the lists initially. That being said, most of these directors are available, and if any of them accept the job, it is likely that Bond 25 can start on time. Right now, Bond 25 is scheduled to begin production as soon as December 8, 2018.

However, that will also depend on whether or not the producers stick to the script written by John Hodge based on an idea by Boyle or if they will move back to the script written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.

Deadline also says Bond 25 has not lost its November 8, 2019 release date. So it looks like producers are hopeful they are able to lock in a director before its too late.

One thing is for sure, it will be interesting to see if any of them will bring their own styles into the film, or if producers will get in the way. Some directors mentioned have been burned before when producers stepped in. So it all depends on whether or not a director is able to swallow his pride or the producers are willing to step aside.

Of course, we will keep you posted on any new developments as they come in.

[Source: Deadline]