‘Bond 25’ Director Reacts to Working With Daniel Craig

The landmark installment of the James Bond franchise has already been through a few setbacks, but with the addition of director Cary Fukunaga, the film just took one step closer to reality.

Fukunaga is set to team up with Daniel Craig in his fifth appearance as Agent 007, and the director is thrilled. While speaking with Entertainment Tonight in Canada, Fukunaga relayed his excitement to work with Craig on the new James Bond movie.

“The guy is a genius actor and a legend,” Fukunaga said. “So I’m just super honored and excited.”

Fukunaga is currently promoting his next project, the Netflix series Maniac starring Jonah Hill and Emma Stone. But he’ll have to dive in on the new Bond movie, as the release date is already set for early 2020.

“We are delighted to be working with Cary. His versatility and innovation make him an excellent choice for our next James Bond adventure,” said Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli in a statement.

Bond 25 has suffered a few setbacks this year, when Sam Mendes revealed he was not returning for his third film in the franchise after directing Skyfall and Spectre.

The franchise got a boost when Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle revealed he signed on to direct the next film, though he walked away last month amid rumors that he couldn’t reconcile differences over the script he co-wrote with longtime collaborator John Hodge.

Wilson and Broccoli wanted to keep Boyle on board and gave him story duties at first, tossing out a script from tenured 007 writers Robert Wade and Neal Purvis. Unfortunately, they could not come to terms with Boyle’s version of the character, and the director decided to walk away.

It’s not clear what version of the script Fukunaga will direct, as Boyle and Hodge had reportedly completed their own script while Purvis and Wade had done the same. It’s unclear who will get story credit, or if they’ll start from scratch — which seems unlikely, given that the film is scheduled to begin filming in early 2019.

Fukunaga has a lot of work on his plate to get ready for production, but he’s proven from his work on True Detective and Beasts of No Nation that he’s capable. But if he’s asked to compromise on his vision, much like Boyle was, don’t be surprised to see yet another director change. Fukunaga previously stepped away from Stephen King’s It because of creative differences.

Bond 25 is scheduled to premiere in theaters on February 14, 2020.