Bond 25 Rumor: Big Little Lies' Jean-Marc Vallee Approached to Direct

[Ulquiorra]

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With Bond 25 in need of a new director, Jean-Marc Vallee has reportedly been approached about taking the job. Following Daniel Craig's uncertainty surrounding a fifth appearance as James Bond, the next entry finally started to gain momentum over the last several months. EON and MGM looked at several big name directors before eventually finding Danny Boyle and naming him as their choice. His hiring came after it was agreed that he would develop an original Bond story with his longtime writing partner John Hodge, but due to creative differences coming from his vision, Boyle exited the project earlier this week.

Boyle leaving Bond 25 immediately signaled alarm bells for many as the project was already in the casting phase. The priority looked to be as simple as finding a new director to take over, but a complete script rewrite may now be in store. They'll need a director sooner rather than later if they want to retain the film's current release date, and it appears an Oscar-nominee has been asked.

Deadline reports that Jean-Marc Vallee has been approached about directing Bond 25. The holdup for Vallee may come down to scheduling. Although he has no director projects currently on his plate, he is an executive producer on both Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects. He also directed every episode from each of those series' first seasons. His involvement with season 2 of Big Little Lies isn't yet known, and there's no word on a second season for Sharp Objects.
 

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If his schedule is clear, Vallee could be a great choice for Bond 25. His work on Dallas Buyers Club brought him his Oscar nomination, and his Reese Witherspoon led drama Wild was equally as impressive, though Demolition split critics. His turn to TV though has resulted in two massive hits. He could ultimately decide to stay on the small screen, but the option for a major big screen return is reportedly on the table if he's up for it.

Vallee is just the latest name to be floated around as a possible replacement on Bond 25, but he's also one that has noted interest. He admitted in an interview that a James Bond would be "fun" to do, and he may now have his chance. If Vallee is seriously considered, he'll have to beat out some potentially other big names to get the job. Mission: Impossible - Fallout director Christopher McQuarrie has been rumored as someone the studio wants to get. It also won't be surprising if David Mackenzie or Yann Demange are brought into the discussion again, as they were on the shortlist prior to Boyle. As of right now, Vallee has as great a chance at helming Bond 25 as anyone else, so how the discussions and project progress will determine whether or not he's ultimately the choice.

James Bond 25 (2019) release date: Nov 08, 2019