News

Obnoxious flatmates Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston and Kerry Fox get way more than they bargained for with the arrival of enigmatic Keith Allen and a suitcase full of cash

Rereleased for its 30th anniversary, the macabre black-comic crime caper is from screenwriter John Hodge with Danny Boyle making his feature-directing debut, giving us a hint of the turbocharged showmanship that always marked his style and which he was to crank up another notch a few years later with the zeitgeisty 90s hit Trainspotting. Shallow Grave is a bizarre Edinburgh noir, centring on cover-ups, disloyalty and incompetent corpse-management in the approximate spirit of Ealing, with touches of Hitchcock’s The Trouble With Harry and Orton’s Entertaining Mr Sloane. It’s also a kind of 90s young person flatshare entertainment, but closer to the BBC’s This Life than Friends.

We get an embarrassment of riches in the cast, with Peter Mullan,...

Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" films are an embarrassment of riches. With a strong ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, an arresting story, and production design to die for, the filmmaker's take on Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi saga is firing on all cylinders. The movies also have fantastic effects makeup; a talented team is responsible for turning Austin Butler into a scowling, pale villain, etching runes onto the faces of the Bene Gesserit, and making everyone generally look both hot and windswept.

Oscar-nominated makeup artist Donald Mowat is credited as head of the makeup department on both 2021's "Dune" and "Dune: Part Two," but in 2020, he told Inside The Film Room that he nearly didn't get to work on the movies after all. Mowat previously collaborated extensively with Daniel Craig, doing his makeup on films like "Cowboys & Aliens" and "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" before joining the Bond franchise for "Skyfall" and Spectre.

Alex Garland is a director who you either love or hate. But regardless of how you feel about him, it’s likely you can’t stop arguing about him. And the English filmmaker has certainly given audiences something to argue about again with his latest film, “Civil War.”

Set in an unspecified future/alternate history, “Civil War” focuses on an armed conflict across America that has caused the nation to splinter. But what exactly caused the conflict, as well as what the opposing militias are fighting for, is a question the movie — which takes the form of a travelogue journeying with a group of reporters across America and through the bloodshed — has absolutely zero interest in answering. Instead, Garland zeroes in on recreating scenes of violence that Americans have witnessed via photographs and video on foreign soil, now in a much closer context, in an effect that’s alternatively been...

Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, from Danny Boyle, will both be back on UK cinema screens in May 2024.

Danny Boyle’s two breakthrough movies – Shallow Grave and Trainspotting – are getting UK re-releases, we’ve discovered. Both of them will be back on UK cinema screens in May of this very year.

The strike actions of 2023 have presented cinemas with a surprisingly sparse collection of films to show in 2024, as you may have noticed. That, though, is leaving lots of gaps for independent movies and re-releases to get some very welcome screen space. Park Circus, a company that’s been bringing lots of older films back to cinemas, has a couple more lined up. This time, those aforementioned two features from Danny Boyle.

On 10th May, Danny Boyle’s debut feature, Shallow Grave, is getting a limited cinema re-release. It’s in a small-ish number of screens, so it may be that...

Of the many terribly interesting things touched on in Danny Boyle’s smart and skillful adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s 1993 debut novel, Trainspotting, it’s most tempting to contemplate facets that are only mildly developed. There is, for instance, the pointed, oddly chilling, and deeply funny monologue that Renton (Ewan McGregor), the closest thing that the audience is given to a hero here, delivers in opposition to his straight-arrow friend’s buoyant Scottish nationalism. As Renton barks at Tommy (Kevin McKidd), personal despondency is connected directly to lack of a unique cultural identity, which Renton is quick to see as a reflection of Scotland’s muddled ties to the United Kingdom.

The whole spiel doesn’t quite account for the astounding amount of heroin that Renton and his cronies pump into their corroded veins, attained through various burglaries and scams, but coupled with the dour, decrepit environs of Glasgow and...

Trainspotting producer Andrew Macdonald has been appointed as the new Chair of the Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff).

As part of the role, Macdonald will lead the formation of a new organization that will deliver Eiff from 2024. Macdonald will now recruit a board and executive team to lead the Festival’s development from September 2023.

Like many Scottish film professionals, Macdonald is an Eiff alum. He worked at the festival in 1992, during which he made a video diary about raising cash to produce his first feature film, Shallow Grave. The film was finally made in 1993 and had its world premiere at Eiff in 1994.

Written by John Hodge and directed by Danny Boyle, the film was a box office success and won the BAFTA for Best British Film. Macdonald went on to produce several films with Boyle, including Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach, and T2 Trainspotting. Since 1997 he’s headed DNA Films,...

The Scottish producer will lead on the formation of a new organisation that will deliver the festival going forward.

DNA Films’ producer Andrew Macdonald has been named chair of the Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) for 2024 and beyond, and will lead on the formation of a new organisation that will deliver the festival going forward.

Macdonald will now recruit a board and executive team to lead the festival’s development from September 2023. Further information regarding the new Eiff chaired by Macdonald will follow after the 2023 festival.

Screen Scotland announced in May of this year it was seeking a chair to spearhead the festival’s revival,...

In 1993, author Irvine Welsh released his first novel Trainspotting into the world. The novel centered around the lives of heroin users Renton, Spud, Sickboy and their friends Begbie and Tommy. It was met with universal success and eventually adapted into a film. Trainspotting was directed by the mastermind Danny Boyle and has been captivating audiences for over two decades!

Released in the United Kingdom in 1995, and later released to America in 1996, the movie would also depict heroin addicts in Edinburgh, Scotland as they deal with life, drugs and their consequences as well as their various exploits. This wasn’t just some run of the mill movie adaptation…this is Trainspotting we’re talking about! Join us on Revisited as we look back on one of the best movies the 90’s had to offer.

In December of 1993, Andrew Macdonald, who would eventually become the producer of the film, was midflight reading...

Phoebe Waller-Bridge had no time to research the James Bond franchise ahead of “tweaking” the “No Time to Die” script.

The “Fleabag” creator was tasked with rewriting the film’s female characters, including roles played by Ana de Armas and Lea Séydoux, as well as adding more jokes into the script that marked Daniel Craig’s final turn as 007. However, Waller-Bridge found the feedback “frustrating” at times.

“I should naturally have done a lot of Bond research [but] I didn’t do a huge amount of research for it. I’m not very good at homework. That says a lot,” Waller-Bridge said during a Masterclass talk at London’s Haymarket Theatre (via The Daily Mail). “Sometimes it is frustrating when you say, ‘I think this is genius,’ and they are like, ‘Next time.'”

She continued, “It is fun playing in someone else’s sandpit for a while as you learn stuff.

Danny Boyle's planned James Bond movie would have taken 007 back to space, following one of the saga's most loathed entries. No Time To Die was designed to bring Daniel Craig's run as Bond to a close. Little did fans of the character know how definitive this ending would be, as the sequel closes with 007 dying for the first time in the Eon James Bond movie series. It was initially set to be directed by Danny Boyle (28 Days Later), and while it was rumored he left after arguing against 007's demise, he later clarified this wasn't the case.

Instead, Boyle told Esquire the producers of the series just "lost confidence" in his plans for Bond 25. No Time To Die itself received mixed reviews, and there will always be some curiosity among Bond devotees as to how the Boyle version would have worked out. The script for Boyle's Bond has yet to leak,...

Screen is rounding up the key projects launched before and during this year’s American Film Market.

Screen International is rounding up the key projects launched before and during this year’s American Film Market.

Refresh the page for latest updates.

From the US

The Pack

Alexander Skarsgard marks his feature directing debut with this psychological thriller starring Florence Pugh. Production begins in March 2023. CAA Media Finance and 30West jointly represent US rights.

International sales: The Veterans

Immaculate

Sydney Sweeney produces (with Fifty-Fifty films) and stars in this psychological horror set in the Italian countryside. Michael Mohen will direct with...

Paul Mescal will lead modern espionage thriller “A Spy By Nature,” to be directed by Oscar and BAFTA winner Kevin Macdonald (“The Mauritian”).

HanWay Films is launching worldwide sales at the upcoming American Film Market. CAA is co-representing domestic rights.

The film is an adaptation of the first novel in Charles Cumming’s bestselling Alec Milius spy series, adapted by BAFTA winner John Hodge (“Trainspotting”) and Joseph Charlton (“Industry”). It will follow Milius, a disillusioned twenty-something whose gift for deception catches the eye of MI6. Caught up in the thrusts of a geopolitical war on commodities involving the British and the Americans, at home he struggles to preserve his relationship with his girlfriend and build a future together. As his web of lies grows, Milius is forced to confront his own nature – whether he can be a good man as well as a good spy.

The film is produced by...

HanWay Films is launching worldwide sales on A Spy By Nature, a thriller starring Paul Mescal (Normal People) at AFM next month. CAA is co-repping domestic rights.

The film is directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Mauritanian) and is an adaptation of the first novel in Charles Cumming’s bestselling Alec Milius spy series adapted for the screen by John Hodge (Trainspotting), with the most recent draft by Joseph Charlton (Industry).

The pic follows Alec Milius, a disillusioned twenty-something whose gift for deception catches the eye of MI6. Caught up in the thrusts of a geopolitical war on commodities involving the British and the Americans, at home he struggles to preserve his relationship with his girlfriend and build a future together. As his web of lies grows, Alec is forced to confront his own nature – whether he can be a good man as well as a good spy.

The film is...

Click here to read the full article.

Paul Mescal is stepping into the spy world for the first time.

The Emmy and BAFTA-winning Normal People breakout, recently seen in festival favorite Aftersun and last year’s The Lost Daughter, is set to lead A Spy By Nature for Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald (The Mauritanian, The Last King of Scotland, State of Play). HanWay Films is launching the project at the American Film Market, with CAA co-repping U.S. rights.

Described as a smart, modern espionage thriller, A Spy By Nature explores a young spy’s growing talent for lying and subterfuge, and the consequences this has on his professional and private lives. The film is adapted by BAFTA winner and Academy Award nominee John Hodge (Trainspotting, The Beach) from the first novel in Charles Cumming’s bestselling Alec Milius spy series, with the most recent draft by Joseph Charlton (Industry.

Worldwide sales to launch at AFM.

Paul Mescal will lead the cast of A Spy By Nature, a thriller directed by Kevin Macdonald and written by Trainspotting writer John Hodge.

HanWay Films is launching worldwide sales on the film at next week’s American Film Market; CAA is co-representing US rights.

A Spy By Nature is adapted by Hodge from the first novel in Charles Cumming’s Alec Milius spy series, with the most recent draft of the script by Joseph Charlton.

Chris Clark is producing for UK outfit RedRum Films, with Quentin Curtis; with HanWay and Ingenious Media as executive producers,...

Ed Sheeran almost changed the shape of the James Bond franchise.

The “Shape of You” Grammy winner revealed he was initially hired to sing the “No Time to Die” theme song for Daniel Craig’s final turn as the famed MI6 agent. Sheeran confirmed during “That Peter Crouch Podcast” that he had begun writing the ballad before Billie Eilish took over amid production moving in a different direction.

“I was within a fucking gnat’s pube of doing one,” Sheeran said. “They changed directors, and then they just changed scripts, and that was it. But we had done all the meetings. I had started writing it.”

Eilish went on to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy for “No Time to Die,” co-written with her brother Finneas O’Connell. Sheeran added that it is still his dream to do a Bond theme song someday.

“You’ve got to — eventually, as...

No Time To Die's theme song ended up being written by Billie Eilish, but Ed Sheeran now reveals that he was the one originally slated for the job. After a successful tenure as James Bond starting in 2006 with Casino Royale, Daniel Craig said farewell to the role with last year's No Time To Die. The film, which is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, was delayed a number of times due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, but ultimately released to generally positive reviews from audiences and critics. In a first for the franchise, No Time To Die ended with the definitive death of Craig's Bond as he saves the world from a nanobot plague.

In keeping with franchise tradition, No Time To Die features an exciting opening action sequence, with Bond and his lover, Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), narrowly escaping from a group of Spectre operatives while in Matera,...

Ewan McGregor has said he was reticent to play Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

In the mid-1990s, when the Scottish actor was cast in the George Lucas science-fiction series, he was most famous for his work in edgier films from British director Danny Boyle, including Trainspotting and A Life Less Ordinary.

In an interview released Monday (29 August), McGregor explained how his image initially dampened his enthusiasm for the Star Wars role.

“I really had to think about it,” McGregor said on the podcast Smartless, hosted by actors Sean Hayes, Jason Bateman, and Will Arnett. “It came right after that Trainspotting period and by that time I was so full of myself.”

He joked about his mentality at the time. “I am Danny Boyle’s actor. I am f***ing urban grunge. I am the Oasis of the British movie industry,” he said, laughing.

Eventually,...

Sundance Institute and Picturehouse have announced additions to the 2022 Sundance Film Festival: London programme today.

Alongside the twelve feature films, two short film strands and industry events previously announced, the festival will also present a new podcast strand with live audiences, including Girls on Film and Evolution of Horror; a 25th-anniversary screening of Love Jones, a special screening of Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave; and a screening of Janicza Bravo’s Lemon chosen by keynote speaker, producer Christine Vachon.

The Festival will open up the spirit of Sundance Film Festival to UK audiences by screening three films at upwards of 25 cinemas across the country. A Love Song, Free Chol Soo Lee and Good Luck To You, Leo Grande will screen alongside recorded Filmmaker Q&As during the festival dates of 9 to 12 June 2022.

For the first time ever, the festival will include an exciting programme of live podcast recordings within the line-up.

Daniel Craig‘s era of James Bond is over and while “No Time To Die” certainly entertained folks, there are still questions about what director Danny Boyle (“Trainspotting“) would have done with the final outing. Boyle was originally hired to direct and developed the script with screenwriter John Hodge, however, the two eventually left the Bond pic over “creative differences” with franchise producers and Boyle ended up making “Yesterday” instead.

Continue reading Danny Boyle Says His Rejected Version Of ‘No Time To Die’ Would Have Taken Place In Russia at The Playlist.

This article contains spoilers for No Time to Die.

With the MCU continuing to dominate cinemas, much talk has been directed at producer Kevin Feige and his ability to maintain a popular franchise of 14 years. But before Feige, there was Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, producer of the James Bond franchise. Since the first Bond feature film, Dr. No, released in 1962, the Broccoli family has remained at the helm, ensuring that the beloved secret agent remains his essential self, even as he keeps up with the changing times.

For that reason, it was a bit of a surprise when, in 2018, Broccoli’s children, Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (who have managed the franchise since 1995), announced Danny Boyle as the director of the 25th Bond film, taking over from Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes. The director of everything from the blockbuster hit Slumdog Millionaire to offbeat classic Trainspotting, Boyle seemed like an...

‘Secret in Their Eyes’ star Joe Cole talks about his role in the six-part TV series ‘The Ipcress File’. Joe is seen essaying the character of spy Harry Palmer. Written by John Hodge and directed by James Watkins, it also stars Lucy Boynton and Tom Hollander. While talking about his character Harry, Joe said: “I […]...

Danny Boyle was all set to direct Daniel Craig in his final James Bond movie before exiting the project due to creative differences with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. The Oscar winner would later tell Metro that he’s “not cut out [for franchises],” adding, “I work in partnership with writers and I am not prepared to break it up.” Boyle brought in John Hodge to pen his Bond movie, which the director recently revealed to Esquire UK was set in present day Russia and explored Bond’s origins. Boyle said he was apprehensive from the start about signing on to Bond.

“I remember thinking, ‘Should I really get involved in franchises?’ Because they don’t really want something different,” Boyle told Esquire UK. “They want you to freshen it up a bit, but not really challenge it, and we wanted to do something different with it. Weirdly — it would...

Danny Boyle has “No Time” for franchises following his exit from the 25th James Bond film that eventually became “No Time to Die.”

The director signed on for the project in 201 8 alongside longtime screenwriting partner John Hodge.

“I remember thinking, ‘Should I really get involved in franchises?’ Because they don’t really want something different,” Boyle told Esquire UK. “They want you to freshen it up a bit, but not really challenge it, and we wanted to do something different with it.”

Boyle later stepped away from the film, with rumors that producer Barbara Broccoli’s Eon Productions did not approve of Boyle’s alleged conclusion to kill off Bond, played by Daniel Craig. However, after Cary Fukunaga helmed the 2021 feature, Bond met the same demise.

Now, Boyle is detailing what his original plot entailed.

“Weirdly — it would have been very topical now — it was all set in Russia, which...

AMC+ has unveiled the trailer for its upcoming new espionage thriller The Ipcress File, based on the best-selling Len Deighton novel. Adapted for television by Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Hodge (Trainspotting), the atmospheric drama series stars Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders) as iconic British spy Harry Palmer, Lucy Boynton (The Politician) as intelligence officer Jean Courtney, and Tom Hollander (Baptiste) as spy chief Major Dalby. As can be seen in the teaser (watch below), the series promises plenty of twists and turns as it tells a tale of abducted scientists, brainwashing, inter-departmental rivalries, treason, and possibly an unwise romance. The stylish spy thriller is directed by Emmy winner James Watkins (The Woman In Black) and is set in Berlin and London during the 1960s.  The Ipcress File takes place at the height of the Cold War, where ex-soldier and convicted thief Harry Palmer is recruited to an unorthodox British spy unit whose boss,...

Music Financier Invests In ITV’s ‘The Ipcress File’

Exclusive: Music financier Cutting Edge Media Music has invested in ITV’s adaptation of Len Deighton’s The Ipcress File and will take full music rights to the upcoming series. Altitude Television’s big-budget six-parter has already pre-sold to AMC+ and producer Andy Mayson said “Cutting Edge’s involvement and expertise has ensured the authentic sounds of the 60s feature.” The highly-anticipated series comes from Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Hodge and Emmy-winning director James Watkins, and stars Joe Cole, Tom Hollander and Lucy Boynton. Cole stars as Harry Palmer, a Cold War army sergeant who turns to spying in order to avoid prison, cutting his teeth on The Ipcress File. The book was adapted in 1965 into a hit film starring Michael Caine as Palmer.

‘Masked Singer UK’ Indie Bandicoot In Triple Hire

Masked Singer UK producer Bandicoot has made a triple hire...

ITV’s upcoming adaptation of The Ipcress File “looks like a big Netflix show,” according to Director of Programmes Kevin Lygo, who said he wants the Len Deighton remake to reach beyond the “standard ITV viewer.”

Speaking during a press viewing Friday, Lygo joked that it is “obviously incredibly annoying” when people watch the show’s trailer and believe it is a Netflix original, due to “the scale of it being so stylish” and its high budget.

Altitude Television’s adaptation of the Deighton novel, which achieved worldwide acclaim when Michael Caine played the lead in the 1965 film version, stars Gangs of London’s Joe Cole as Harry Palmer, a Cold War sergeant who is released from a Berlin jail in order to work as a British spy. Trainspotting writer John Hodge has penned and the six-parter also features Bohemian Rhapsody’s Lucy Boynton and BAFTA-winner Tom Hollander.

“We don...

AMC+ has picked up ITV’s soon-to-air big-budget adaptation of Len Deighton’s The Ipcress File from distributor ITV Studios.

AMC+ viewers will recognise lead Joe Cole, who plays iconic British spy Harry Palmer and also starred in Sky Atlantic’s Gangs Of London, which the streamer shows in the U.S.

The highly-anticipated six-parter from Altitude Television and Turbine will air early next year in the UK and also feature Bohemian Rhapsody’s Lucy Boynton and BAFTA-winner Tom Hollander.

The show is set in the Cold War era, as British army sergeant Palmer is stationed in Berlin before being sentenced to eight years in a military jail in England. To avoid prison, he becomes a spy, cutting his teeth on The Ipcress File.

The Deighton novels achieved worldwide fame when they were turned into a 1965 film starring Michael Caine.

The adaptation is penned by BAFTA-winning Trainspotting writer John Hodge,...

Exclusive: Charlotte Hope (Game Of Thrones), Charlie Creed-Miles (Giri/Haji), Plan B/Ben Drew (Harry Brown) and Sadie Frost (Waiting For Anya) are among cast to join UK biopic The Chelsea Cowboy.

As we revealed, Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike), Poppy Delevingne (Riviera) and Filipina actress and singer Lovi Poe (Malaya) are leading cast.

The film will chart the rise and fall of underworld hard-man turned actor John Bindon, who despite a successful acting career and passionate romantic liaisons with members of high society, even royalty, was unable to leave his criminal past behind.

Also joining cast are Charley Palmer Rothwell (Dunkirk) as James Fox, Tamer Hassan (Layer Cake) as Salim, Warren Brown (Luther) as Priddle and Sadie Newman (Holmes & Watson) as Nina.

Hope will play Sandra, Creed Miles is Sir John Hodge, Ben Drew will be Roy Dennis and Frost plays Cissy Bindon.

Leon Butler (100 Streets) has scripted and produces,...

ITV Drops First Look At ‘The Ipcress File’

ITV has offered the first look at The Ipcress File, its adaptation of Len Deighton’s spy novel, which inspired the 1965 Michael Caine film of the same name. Penned by BAFTA-winning Trainspotting writer John Hodge, the cast is led by Gangs Of London and Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole, alongside Bohemian Rhapsody actress Lucy Boynton, and The Night Manager’s Tom Hollander. The Ipcress File is the first major project housed at Will Clarke and Andy Mayson’s Altitude Television, a production arm of the British film and TV company Altitude Media Group. Filming is underway and other cast include Ashley Thomas (NYPD Blue), Joshua James (Industry), David Dencik (McMafia), and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Dublin Murders).

BBC Studios Inhales BBC Kids

BBC Studios has announced that BBC Children’s Production will become part of the commercial arm. The public service division is behind...

After the coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of popular dating reality show “Love Island” last summer, the show is confirmed to return to U.K. broadcaster ITV for this summer season. The last season of “Love Island” that aired was a winter version filmed in South Africa.

ITV also revealed several scripted series that are in production. “The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe,” a four-part crime drama from “Unforgotten” writer Chris Lang, about how John Darwin faked his own death to claim his life insurance, is being produced by All3Media’s Story Films.

“The Ipcress File,” a six-part adaptation of Len Deighton’s renowned book starring Joe Cole as iconic spy Harry Palmer, Lucy Boynton and Tom Hollander is adapted for ITV by Oscar-nominated writer John Hodge and directed by Emmy award-winner James Watkins.

In “Stephen,” the three-part sequel to the single film “The Murder of Stephen Lawrence,” the cast includes Sharlene Whyte,...

Exclusive: Here’s a hot one: ITV is turning Len Deighton’s spy novel The Ipcress File, which inspired the 1965 Michael Caine film of the same name, into a television series — and the UK broadcaster has assembled a stellar on- and off-screen team to make the drama a reality.

The adaptation will be penned by BAFTA-winning Trainspotting writer John Hodge, while the cast will be led by Gangs Of London and Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole, alongside Bohemian Rhapsody actress Lucy Boynton, and The Night Manager’s Tom Hollander. The Crown and Rush producer Andrew Eaton will serve as an executive producer, while the six-part Berlin-set series will be helmed by McMafia and Black Mirror director James Watkins.

The Ipcress File is the first major project housed at Will Clarke and Andy Mayson’s Altitude Television, a production arm of the British film and TV company Altitude Media Group,...

According to Oscar nominee Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”), his FX psychological sci-fi drama “Devs” might ultimately be “about love,” he reveals. “What it is that matters to us, whether we have free will or not. Who do we love? Why do we love them? Do we stop loving them?” Watch our exclusive video interview with Garland above.

See Nick Offerman Interview: ‘Devs’

“Devs” is the writer and director’s first foray into series television after his acclaimed sci-fi dramas “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who investigates the secretive development division of the Amaya corporation, a cutting-edge Silicon Valley tech company where she works, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Amaya and its secretive ‘Devs’ division is run by mysterious CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and his ambiguous offsider Katie (Alison Pill), both of who we learn have...

The upcoming James Bond tentpole “No Time to Die” is in good hands with “Beasts of No Nation” and “True Detective” director Cary Fukunaga, but part of the 007 fandom will always wonder what Daniel Craig’s final outing as Bond would’ve looked like with original director Danny Boyle. The “28 Days Later” and “Slumdog Millionaire” Oscar winner boarded Bond 25 with his “Trainspotting” writer John Hodge after successfully pitching an original idea to franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. The producers liked Boyle’s plan enough to put on hold the script being developed by franchise veterans Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who previously wrote all of Craig’s Bond adventures. What Boyle’s ideas were have never been confirmed, but they ended up being polarizing enough for him to leave the project over “creative differences.”

“What John [Hodge] and I were doing, I thought, was really good,” Boyle...

Daniel Craig expresses frustrations in a new GQ profile over the media labeling “No Time to Die” a cursed production. The upcoming James Bond tentpole marks Craig’s fifth and final outing playing 007. The film is opening globally in November after what appeared to be a tumultuous production process. Craig told GQ, “It pisses me off because I’m just like, ‘Don’t curse our movie.’ And also, we’re doing our best here.”

“No Time to Die” had behind-the-scenes drama before cameras even started rolling. Screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade were hired to pen the movie after working on all of Craig’s previous 007 movies, but the duo’s script was put on hold after Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson hired Danny Boyle to direct. The “Slumdog Millionaire” Oscar winner brought on his “Trainspotting” writer John Hodge to work on the script, but they...

A first poster for “No Time to Die” was released over the weekend via the 007 Instagram account. Featuring star Daniel Craig in his fifth performance as MI6 agent James Bond, the relatively simple poster represents the 25th installment in the Bond franchise of movies, to be produced by Eon Productions for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Universal Pictures.

View this post on Instagram

Celebrate #JamesBondDay with the first poster for #NoTimeToDie #Bond25

A post shared by James Bond 007 (@007) on Oct 5, 2019 at 4:00am Pdt

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Z. Burns and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, based on an early draft by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, “No Time to Die” follows an inactive Bond who is enlisted by friend and CIA field officer Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) to help in the search for a missing scientist. When it becomes apparent that the scientist was abducted, Bond must confront...

You would think that a film from director Danny Boyle, writer John Hodge (based on the novel by Alex Garland), and star Leonardo DiCaprio is a sure-thing. However, back in 2000, the collaboration between those talented folks, titled “The Beach,” not only didn’t strike a chord with critics but is one of the worst reviewed projects in the careers of each of them (it currently holds a dismal 20% on Rotten Tomatoes).

Continue reading Danny Boyle Talks ‘The Beach’ Prequel Series From Filmmaker Amy Seimetz: “It’s A Bit Of A Headf*ck” at The Playlist.

Danny Boyle is finally talking about James Bond. The filmmaker exited the film in August of last year after months of chatter about his involvement, and production is currently underway with Cary Fukunaga as director and “Fleabag” creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge as a script polisher. The Brit breakout has intimated that the bulk of her work on the script isn’t just to add a “female voice” to the continued adventures of the super-spy and his various female cohorts, but instead to liven up the entire enterprise.

Now, Boyle has indicated that he wouldn’t have gone that route. In a new interview with The Independent, Boyle was asked about the lack of female characters across his entire filmmaking canon, including his new release “Yesterday,” out later this week. On some level, it’s an unfair question: While Jacob Stolworthy writes that, of Boyle’s films, “only one has...

If it were up to Danny Boyle, Robert Pattinson would become the next James Bond. Bruce Wayne, Jame Bond and Edward Cullen…that would be quite the CV.

In an interview with The Guardian for upcoming musical Yesterday, Boyle discussed his experience briefly working on (and then being taken off) the Bond franchise.

The Brit filmmaker noted that he had recently seen Claire Denis’ sci-fi-movie High Life, which stars Pattinson. He said, “It was so bizarre, because I was sitting there thinking: ‘Oh my God, they should get him to be the next Bond.’”

Boyle doesn’t think Pattinson’s relative youth [he is 33] would be a factor. “No, no,” he mused. “He must be in his 30s. How old was Connery? He’s ready now.”

Pattinson is seemingly on course to become the next Batman so doubling up as James Bond seems highly unlikely at this stage. Perhaps down the line.

Although Bond 25 has certainly experienced a few bumps in the road, Cary Fukunaga (True Detective) is currently shooting what will be Daniel Craig's fifth and final film in the long-running franchise. However, Fukunaga wasn't the first director attached to the film, as Danny Boyle (Yesterday) was previously the man for the job. After penning the script with John Hodge,…...

Danny Boyle learned a lesson after signing on to write and direct Bond 25 only to exit the project over creative differences with producers: He’s not meant to direct franchise movies. Speaking to Metro, Boyle hinted that he will never take on a big studio franchise again because his mode of development clashes with how giant franchises operate behind the scenes.

“I learned my lesson that I am not cut out [for franchises] otherwise you’re digging in the same hole,” Boyle said. “I am better not quite in the mainstream franchise movies, is the honest answer. I learned quite a lot about myself with Bond, I work in partnership with writers and I am not prepared to break it up.”

Boyle was originally hired for Bond 25 to co-write the script with his “Trainspotting” collaborator John Hodge. Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli reportedly loved the idea the duo came up with,...

A “controlled explosion” on the set of “Bond 25” damaged the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios and caused a “minor injury” to a crew member off stage, according to a tweet posted Tuesday from the official James Bond account.

No injuries were reported on set. The production has been plagued with multiple setbacks, including an injury to star Daniel Craig.

In May, it was announced that Craig would undergo minor ankle surgery due to an injury sustained while filming in Jamaica. Production continued while Craig was rehabilitating, and the film’s Twitter account announced that the spy thriller was still on track for a release in April 2020.

Danny Boyle was originally attached to direct before leaving the project in August 2018 over creative differences. John Hodge, who wrote a screenplay based on Boyle’s ideas, departed as well.

Also Read: Daniel Craig to Undergo Ankle Surgery for Injury Sustained While Filming 'James...

Sony Pictures Television has struck a co-development and co-production deal with The Boy with the Topknot producer Nisha Parti.

The Hollywood studio has inked a three year deal to work with Parti to produce scripted dramas for network, cable and streaming platforms. The projects will be co-produced between the two companies with Sony distributing worldwide.

Parti previously produced Paddy Considine-fronted feature thriller Honour as well as the adaptation of Sathnam Sanghera’s The Boy with the Topknot with Kudos for BBC Two. She previously worked with David Heyman and was the first person to read the unpublished manuscript of Harry Potter, which lead to Heyman securing the film rights for Heyday Films and Warner Bros.

Parti will work closely with Wayne Garvie, President, International Production, Spt, in the UK and Nina Lederman, the newly appointed Evp, Global Scripted Development and Programming, based in Los Angeles. She has several TV...

Joseph Baxter May 23, 2019

Yet another setback has hit Bond 25, which has suspended shooting after star Daniel Craig sustained an injury on the set.

Bond 25 may not sport an unlucky number, but the escalating series of shaken-not-stirred setbacks experienced by the next entry of the venerable film franchise might make one, in the very least, toy with superstitious explanations. Last week, in the latest development in the film’s dilatory difficulties, Daniel Craig sustained an ankle injury; one that’s apparently serious enough for the production to suspend shooting.

The incident occurred while Craig, draped in a trademark James Bond suit, was filming an action scene in Jamaica – what was to be one of the last shots of the island shoot – at which point he slipped while running, injuring his ankle severely, reports the U.K.’s The Sun. However, fans need not panic, since the Bond 25 production issued...

We still don’t have a title for “Bond 25,” but we’ve got a baddie (“Bohemian Rhapsody” Oscar winner Rami Malek), a Bond lady (Ana de Armas from “Blade Runner 2049”), and a premise for Cary Joji Fukunaga to direct. Obviously, it was less than what we were hoping for, as producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced the full cast during a live stream event Thursday from author Ian Fleming’s GoldenEye retreat in Jamaica (the spiritual home of the franchise where “Dr. No” and “Live and Let Die” were filmed).

Eschewing the usual Bond launch press conference, they were joined by James Bond star Daniel Craig and Fukunaga, who answered a few fan questions from Twitter. Meanwhile, Malek provided a quip via a video feed from New York about “making sure that Bond doesn’t have an easy ride.”

A word about #BOND25 from Rami Malek pic.

The producers of the James Bond franchise, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, had a big event this morning to announce the cast of the Bond 25 and offer up some of the first plot details. Unfortunately, the big announcement didn’t include a title for the film.

Daniel Craig is set to to reprise his role as 007, and he will be joined by returning cast members Ralph Fiennes, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, and Jeffrey Wright, who previously appeared in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

The veteran Bond actors will be joined by franchise newcomers Dali Benssalah, Billy Magnussen, Ana De Armas, David Dencik, Lashanna Lynch, and Rami Malek is confirmed to play the villain.

Cary Fukanaga (True Detective) is set to direct the film that will feature a script written by Scott Burns, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and John Hodge. As for the story details, here...

Daniel Craig is returning as 007 in the still-untitled Bond 25. Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli teased the film and announced the full cast during a live event from Jamaica, which is now confirmed to be a setting in the film. Craig has starred as Bond since the 2006 entry “Casino Royale,” reprising the character in sequels “Quantum of Solace,” “Skyfall,” and “Spectre.” Craig will walk away from the role following the upcoming film.

Broccoli said of the film’s plot, “Bond is not on active service when the film starts. He is enjoying himself in Jamaica. We consider Jamaica Bond’s spiritual home. He starts his journey here.” Fukunaga said he has already shot parts of the film in Norway and will resume shooting in Jamaica in the weeks ahead before returning to London’s famous Pinewood studios. Jamaica is significant as it’s where Ian Fleming wrote his...

“Fleabag” and “Killing Eve” creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been brought in to polish the script for the next James Bond film, Variety has confirmed.

News of Waller-Bridge’s involvement on the currently untitled Bond film, the 25th in the long-running franchise and the fifth to star Daniel Craig, first appeared in Britain’s Observer newspaper on Sunday. A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed that the British writer was indeed taking a pass through the script and that director Cary Fukunaga was fully aware of the decision. The source said production remained on track to begin at the end of April.

Waller-Bridge’s involvement came at the direct request of Craig, according to the Observer, which said Craig felt the script needed a polish to add more humor. The Emmy- and BAFTA-nominated writer is known for her offbeat, caustic humor and strong characterization.

She recently concluded an off-Broadway...

Joseph Baxter Apr 15, 2019

Phoebe Waller-Bridge will reportedly take a crack at polishing the Bond 25 script, representing the latest turnover.

Bond 25 appears to be getting an injection of modern quirkiness to its script, which has passed through the hands of a sizable number of screenwriters by now.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been recruited by the proverbial MI6 of MGM to “liven up” the script to the still-developing 25th James Bond movie, reports The Observer. The move reportedly occurred at the behest of star Daniel Craig himself, who wants to bring the wit of Waller-Bridge – an actress and writer, notably the creator of BBC America’s smash spy series Killing Eve and starring creator of the Amazon Prime comedy, Fleabag – to the nearly 60-year-old Bond film franchise.

Moreover, it appears that early talks about Waller-Bridge’s contribution to the script have already taken place. With Waller-Bridge currently in New York making the...

“Bond 25,” which started shooting this week in Norway, will be the first James Bond film shot in large-format, with Oscar-winning cinematographer Linus Sandgren (“La La Land”) using both Panavision and IMAX 65mm cameras. A leaked image (via @ImAFilmEditor) and footage from a remote lake near Oslo confirmed the presence of an IMAX camera attached to a Voltstack electric generator.

IndieWire has learned that “Bond 25” (now with the working title “Eclipse”) will be shot primarily in Panavision but with action sequences reserved for the special IMAX treatment. Both director Cary Fukunaga and Dp Sandgren have a fondness and flair for shooting on film, so this is no surprise. It will certainly elevate the visual splendor with which cinematographer-turned-director Fukunaga excels. He has carved out quite a reputation for imaginative camera moves, and this first-time teaming with Sandgren (who made quite the IMAX lunar splash on “First Man”) should make...