A lot of movie fans got very excited when Danny Boyle was tapped as the director of the next James Bond movie. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as the director eventually left the project under the nebulous cloud of "creative differences." While it's still unclear what exactly the problem was between Boyle and Bond, the director of the upcoming film Yesterday says the experience taught him an important lesson, he's not cut out for franchises. According to Boyle...
I learned my lesson that I am not cut out [for franchises] otherwise you’re digging in the same hole. I am better not quite in the mainstream franchise movies, is the honest answer.
Whatever the reasons behind Boyle's departure, his comment that he didn't like "digging in the same hole" makes it clear that he found the idea of working within an existing franchise a bit too constricting. Boyle tells Metro that works better just outside of the mainstream franchise movie scene.
The James Bond franchise is one of the longest running series of films still going today. With 24 previous films there's a lot of history and with that history comes a lot of expectations. While new writers and directors are often able to bring something of their own spin to a property, there are usually limits and places that are out of bounds. It's possible that Danny Boyle discovered he didn't care for those limits.
There have been numerous rumors regarding what exactly was the straw that broke the camel's back that caused Boyle to leave Bond 25. What does seem clear is that the script written by Boyle and John Hodge wasn't working for the studio, and Boyle was ultimately unwilling to work with any other writers.
Becoming a director in a major franchise can actually be a dream for many. Considering how long many of these franchises have been around, some might have grown up as fans, and so the idea of becoming part of that franchise could be incredibly exciting.
It is, however, certainly very different than directing a movie that is completely original and doesn't have the history or requirements of the franchise.
It seems if anybody was hoping Danny Boyle was ever going to direct a popular comic book movie or take on something in the Star Wars universe, we can probably all forget about that. James Bond has taught him that he's not interested in that. It's unfortunate, as he probably would bring some unique ideas to some well known titles.
At the same time, Danny Boyle has made some unique and special movies simply by doing his own thing, and if he were too busy making James Bond movies he wouldn't be able to do that. Boyle's new film Yesterday is getting solid reviews and looks to be a great deal of fun, especially if you're a fan of The Beatles.
Danny Boyle's Yesterday will be in theaters next week. The as yet untitled James Bond movie, now being helmed by Cary Fukunaga, is set for April 2020.
