James Bond 25 officially has a new director.
The Hollywood Reporter says Cary Fukunaga—one of our top picks to take over as director—has been hired to helm the next Daniel Craig-led installment about 007. Fukunaga is best known for directing the first season of HBO's True Detective, which put the series on the map, and Netflix's first original film, Beasts of No Nation.
This will be the first time Eon hires an American director in their 55-year history of producing Bond movies. As THR notes, 1983's Never Say Never Again, directed by the American Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back), was the only Bond film not produced by Eon.
"We are delighted to be working with Cary," read a tweet from Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. "His versatility and innovation make him an excellent choice for our next James Bond adventure."
The news comes after the producers announced Danny Boyle wouldn't be directing the film due to "creative differences." Craig and Boyle reportedly clashed over Boyle bringing his longtime collaborator, John Hodge, on board to pen the script, and for casting Polish actor Tomasz Kot to portray the Russian villain. Because of the shake-up, production will reportedly be pushed to March 2019. James Bond 25 was originally supposed to arrive in theaters on Oct. 25, 2019, but with the change in directors, it's slated to arrive on Feb. 14, 2020 instead. Happy Valentine's.
