Bond News: MGM and Annapurna to distribute 'Bond 25' in U.S., Universal wins international rights, director Danny Boyle and 2019 release confirmed
It's been very quiet on the Bond 25 front in recent weeks, which is something of a surprise considering the months of rumors that came before. After years of "Will he? Won't he?" talk, Daniel Craig ultimately committed to a fifth (and presumably final) adventure as James Bond, prompting a whirlwind of chatter about the details of the 25th installment in the iconic spy franchise. Fans and industry insiders began to wonder when the film would hit theaters, who would be the director, and which studio(s) would end up with distribution rights. Well, all that speculation can now be put to rest. Bond fans- it's finally time to get excited.
Late last night, we received confirmation on a number of Bond 25 specifics. Deadline had the first report, but all details were confirmed by Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. MGM and Annapurna will distribute the film in the United States, while Universal Pictures will handle international distribution. Daniel Craig will star once again, Oscar winner Danny Boyle will step behind the camera to direct, and John Hodge is writing the script. The film is officially set for release on November 8, 2019 in the United States, while October 25, 2019 is its opening date in the United Kingdom. Production will begin on December 3.
Here are a few quotes from the executives involved:
Wilson and Broccoli: "We are delighted to announce that the exceptionally talented Danny Boyle will be directing Daniel Craig in his fifth outing as James Bond in the 25th installment of the franchise. We will begin shooting Bond 25 at Pinewood Studios in December with our partners at MGM and thrilled that Universal will be our international distributor."
MGM chairman Kevin Ulrich: "Under the leadership of Michael and Barbara, we couldn't be more thrilled than to bring the next 007 adventure to the big screen uniting the incomparable Daniel Craig with the extraordinary vision of Danny Boyle."
MGM president Jon Glickman: "It has been 16 years since Die Another Day was distributed by MGM and it's incredibly gratifying to be releasing this film alongside the powerhouse team at Universal."
Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley: "Universal is extremely proud to collaborate with Michael, Barbara and MGM on the international marketing and distribution of Bond 25. The unparalleled combination of Danny's innovative filmmaking and Daniel's embodiment of 007 ensured we simply had to be partners in the next chapter of this iconic series."
All of this had previously been rumored, so nothing here is particularly surprising. However, with the recent radio silence on the Bond front, I was beginning to fear that the next chapter in the franchise would be hit with another delay. When you throw in the fact that Boyle is currently shooting his Lily James-led musical comedy, it's not surprising that many Bond fans believed we wouldn't see this film until 2020 or 2021. But I'm glad that MGM and Universal managed to ink this deal, and I can't wait to see what Boyle does with Craig's last ride. With the news that production will begin in December, it's likely that we'll see casting and location announcements very soon. I think we can expect the traditional press conference in October, which will see the announcement of the title and full cast. I can't wait to see how the Bond series continues, and I couldn't be more thrilled that Craig is returning to close out his run as the superspy.
Bond 25 will arrive in theaters on November 8, 2019.
Images: Sony/IMDb
Late last night, we received confirmation on a number of Bond 25 specifics. Deadline had the first report, but all details were confirmed by Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. MGM and Annapurna will distribute the film in the United States, while Universal Pictures will handle international distribution. Daniel Craig will star once again, Oscar winner Danny Boyle will step behind the camera to direct, and John Hodge is writing the script. The film is officially set for release on November 8, 2019 in the United States, while October 25, 2019 is its opening date in the United Kingdom. Production will begin on December 3.
Here are a few quotes from the executives involved:
Wilson and Broccoli: "We are delighted to announce that the exceptionally talented Danny Boyle will be directing Daniel Craig in his fifth outing as James Bond in the 25th installment of the franchise. We will begin shooting Bond 25 at Pinewood Studios in December with our partners at MGM and thrilled that Universal will be our international distributor."
MGM chairman Kevin Ulrich: "Under the leadership of Michael and Barbara, we couldn't be more thrilled than to bring the next 007 adventure to the big screen uniting the incomparable Daniel Craig with the extraordinary vision of Danny Boyle."
MGM president Jon Glickman: "It has been 16 years since Die Another Day was distributed by MGM and it's incredibly gratifying to be releasing this film alongside the powerhouse team at Universal."
Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley: "Universal is extremely proud to collaborate with Michael, Barbara and MGM on the international marketing and distribution of Bond 25. The unparalleled combination of Danny's innovative filmmaking and Daniel's embodiment of 007 ensured we simply had to be partners in the next chapter of this iconic series."
All of this had previously been rumored, so nothing here is particularly surprising. However, with the recent radio silence on the Bond front, I was beginning to fear that the next chapter in the franchise would be hit with another delay. When you throw in the fact that Boyle is currently shooting his Lily James-led musical comedy, it's not surprising that many Bond fans believed we wouldn't see this film until 2020 or 2021. But I'm glad that MGM and Universal managed to ink this deal, and I can't wait to see what Boyle does with Craig's last ride. With the news that production will begin in December, it's likely that we'll see casting and location announcements very soon. I think we can expect the traditional press conference in October, which will see the announcement of the title and full cast. I can't wait to see how the Bond series continues, and I couldn't be more thrilled that Craig is returning to close out his run as the superspy.
Bond 25 will arrive in theaters on November 8, 2019.
Images: Sony/IMDb
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