'Bond 25' could be delayed by a year after Danny Boyle exit causing sponsorship chaos

The release of Bond 25 could be delayed by as much as a year following the departure of director Danny Boyle, according to reports.

The movie was slated for a release in November, 2019, but now sources have told The Hollywood Reporter that it now may not appear in cinemas until late 2020.

It’s said that even prior to Boyle’s exit, producers were already mulling pushing the film back to early 2020.

The problems facing the movie will be further exacerbated by the fact that Boyle leaving the production may mean that the planned script, penned by his longtime collaborator John Hodge, may go too.

Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, along with Daniel Craig, officially tweeted the shock confirmation of Boyle’s exit earlier this week.

But shifting the movie’s plotted release date could have further ramifications, notably for the millions of pounds in sponsorship deals that surround the Bond movies.

An insider told The Sun: “The idea of delaying the film is a disaster and could cause huge fall outs with sponsors and endorsement clients.

“Producers have actively been locking in deals for cars, clothing, beverages, phone and watches since the announcement of Daniel’s return.

“These deals are worth millions with major brands who are building campaigns around the 2019 release.

“In the marketing world, those plans are already being reviewed and prepped at the cost of even more millions.

“If the film gets delayed, there could be the nightmare scenario of these brands taking legal action.”

Brands like Omega, Sony, Bollinger and Heineken had prominent deals in the last movie Spectre, while the likes of Landrover, VW, Audi, and Macallan whisky spent huge sums to appear in Skyfall.

“It is potentially a huge embarrassment and stress levels are high,” the insider added. “The top tier executives are now having to reassure them that everything is on track.”

It’s been claimed that Boyle quit the movie after disagreeing over casting with the movie’s producers and Daniel Craig.

Polish actor Tomasz Kot was Boyle’s pick for the movie’s Russian baddie, but the the Daily Telegraph reported that the director butted heads with Craig on the choice.

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