Boyle is currently promoting his new Disney + revolver show but of course 007 is still being asked. The impressive man has been the creation of Daniel Craig’s Bond with the Queen at the London Olympics Opening Ceremony. When he abruptly stopped working as director of Bond 25 in late August 2018, few details were provided at the time, aside from the usual carefully curated statements noting “creative differences”. However, speculations were rife, as some of them were later proven to be very accurate. One report said: “Daniel Craig … and producer Barbara Broccoli are believed to have wanted Bond to die in an ‘amazing finale,’ according to sources. But the Academy Award winner, 61, Boyle, refused to kill the secret agent, calling the idea “ridiculous.” “It turns out that those sources actually know half of what you’re talking about…
Lo and behold, Secret Agent Craig died in a stunning rocket propellant explosion, and it’s increasingly clear that this was a critical issue in the actor’s mind when he agreed to return after Specter.
Many were expecting this to be his last, as 007’s slow motion kicks off at sunset with his girlfriend Madeline Swan seemingly hinting at a great finale. The actor also made the infamous “I’d rather cut my wrist” comments about returning to another Bond movie.
It was later clarified that he meant “now” and just needed a break from the grueling shooting regime. There was also an overall faint, unaffected reaction to Bond 24 and a feeling that a “big finish” was required. However, once Craig returned for No Time To Die, even Boyle has now confirmed that there is no way for the star to make another movie after that.
“But obviously the path to it (Bond’s death) was very different,” Boyle added.
The director duly made a high-profile exit to be replaced by Cary Fukunaga. It also affected his creative team and some actors hired specifically for his Russia-based plot and end result who were later abandoned.
However, Boyle declared that he had come to terms with what had happened and also noted a fairly prominent compensation: “We’ve all been paid very well, so you have to raise your hand. You can’t go around with grievances.”
Nothing is ever easy in the industry, and Boyle also revealed that there have been major issues trying to bring Pistol to screen.
The new show follows the early days of British punk pioneer The Sex Pistols. It stars Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams as model Vivienne Westwood and punk superstar Pamela Rock, Tallulah Riley as Westwood herself and Thomas Brody-Sangster as Malcolm McClaren.
However, popular Sex Pistols founding member John Lydon attempted to block out the use of the band’s music on the show.
And Boyle added, “I said, ‘If we lose the music, I’ll quit. Sorry for everyone losing money but you can’t do without it.” They said: We have, we have. So I believed them, and, according to their word, they were right.”
Danny Boyle interview on Radio Times this week
