Bond 25 Director Shortlist Includes Star Trek 4's SJ Clarkson

The search for Bond 25's director is on again - and three contenders have already emerged. Once MGM and EON Productions convinced Daniel Craig return for a fifth appearance as James Bond, the next decision became who would direct. The studios considered several notable names before eventually turning the installment over to Danny Boyle. He worked closely with his Trainspotting collaborator John Hodges to write a script, but then creative differences for Boyle's direction and casting resulted in him leaving.

His exit immediately sounded alarm bells for Bond 25 as the movie was scheduled to go into production at the end of the year. This is now unlikely as a new Bond 25 script is needed and the a director must be found. Previous reports indicated previous finalists for Bond 25 may once again be considered, along with Jean-Marc Vallee, Edgar Wright, and Christopher McQuarrie.

Related: What's Really Happening With The Next James Bond Movie

Variety now reports three new contenders for Bond 25's directing gig. The one that has been in this place before is Yann Demange, who was in the running prior to Boyle's hiring. However, it appears the studios also have their sights set on two new and rising names. American Animals director Bart Layton and Jessica Jones director SJ Clarkson - who previously signed on for Star Trek 4 - are also now being considered. The producers of Bond 25 still need to schedule meetings with both Layton and Clarkson, but those will, hopefully, be locked down soon.

Demange already has a leg up on his new competition after already meeting the producers earlier this year. It appears another meeting may now happen as the Bond 25 producers want to see the final cut of Demange's latest movie, White Boy Rick. The Matthew McConaughey-led crime movie is scheduled to hit theaters next week, so it shouldn't be too difficult to acquire a screening and determine if Demange is the choice this time.

Layton is a long-time documentary director, writer, and producer, but his feature debut American Animals has been a huge hit with critics this year. The indie heist film features Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, and Evan Peters as ambitious thieves. American Animals currently holds an 87% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so it's no wonder the up and coming Brit filmmaker is being considered.

Clarkson, meanwhile, has already landed a major franchise film, so Bond 25 could be the latest one to come her way. If she is the choice, she would be the first female to ever direct a Bond movie. She's set to do the same with Star Trek, so after tackling episodes of Jessica JonesThe Defenders, and Orange Is The New Black for Netflix, she's shot up to the top of several lists in Hollywood. Once these meetings conclude, hopefully Bond 25 will have its new director in place, and it doesn't appear that the studio could go wrong with any of these choices.

More: Everything You Need to Know About Bond 25

Source: Variety



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