Bond Boyle’s over

The name's Bond... Buggering Off Bond

Is would appear that ace movie director Danny Boyle has had his licence to thrill revoked.

Oscar-winning Boyle, the man in the driving seat of such monstrously successful and critically acclaimed blockbusters as Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire, has apparently dropped out of directing the 25th outing for James Bond, due for release next year.

In the same way that the phrase “under the weather” can mean just about anything, Mr B is apparently putting his departure down to “creative differences”.

It’s been a remarkably short time at the helm of the Bond franchise – it’s only three months since production company EON were effusively announcing their delight at having bagged Boyle for their next (and probably final) outing with Daniel Craig as the rugged super-spy.

Filming was due to start in December, with the film slated for release the following October, so whilst the current situation might be described as both shaken and stirred, they’ll need to get someone in the canvas chair with ‘Director’ stencilled on the back faster than Roger Moore used to raise a sardonic eyebrow.

Boyle seemed like a good choice – it’s likely a mash-up of traditional Bond-film traits and Danny’s dynamic directing would have made for a belting Bond movie.

Instead, he’ll have to console himself with the very respectable job he did for the Olympics in 2012, which saw Craig’s Bond escorting the Queen to the Games by way of a parachute jump. Seeing Bond and the Queen strolling along the corridors of Buckingham Palace was certainly an eye-opener, and the mini-movie was just part of the dazzling opening ceremony.

Temporarily uniting the country with a rare sense of pride and togetherness, the incredible show pulled together the very best of British, deftly shaped for maximum effect by the talented director.

So someone else will be calling the shots for Craig’s final hurrah as everyone’s favourite unflustered defender of Great Britain, before he makes way for... who knows? Idris Elba did little to quash the rumour he’ll be the next Bond earlier this month, enigmatically tweeting “my name’s Elba, Idris Elba.”

It would be an interesting choice, and bound to get as big a frothy-mouthed deluge of angst from the internet’s inhabitants as making the next Doctor Who a woman did (and probably will again when the first episode airs later this year).

Boyle might be gone, but Bond will be back. And possibly black.

This post first appears as my... well, here's the thing. The column has been 'A wry look at the week' for a while now, but this one went to print with the old 'Thank Grumpy it's Friday' title. I note that the whole paper appears to be printed in a different style/font, and all a bit crisper, which ties in nicely with something tweeted by one of their journo's earlier in the week. As part of the Newsquest takeover, the paper has switched to their software.

Not only have I gone back in time, but I got re-titled too - to "007 will be back with a big bang". 

(CD A-Z: Another home-made comp. Currently enjoying DJ Zebra's "Lennon Zebramix" mash-up.)