The rumor mill is circulating with a lot of gossip about the newest James Bond installment, temporarily known as "Bond 25." Currently, Paul McGuigan, known for directing "Lucky Number Slevin," "Sherlock," and "Victor Frankenstein," looks to be the new replacement of Sam Mendes, who directed "Skyfall" and "Spectre."
According to Indie Wire, the James Bond producer and Eon Productions' Barbara Broccoli has always been known to prefer directors with arthouse cred over the usual action movie directors. Given this criteria, McGuigan does seem to fit seamlessly into the role judging by the ratings of "Sherlock" alone. Unfortunately, the staff behind James Bond remain tight-lipped.
Another uncertainty regarding "Bond 25" is the studio who will be responsible for marketing and distributing it. Sony Entertainment's contract expired back in 2015 but not before collecting an estimated $3.5 billion at the worldwide box office from "Casino Royale" in 2006 to 2015's "Spectre," as reported by New York Times.
Five studios are seeking to impress Broccoli: Warner Bros., Universal Studios, 20<sup>th Century Fox, Annapurna, and, of course, Sony Entertainment. The contract is only for "Bond 25" but with major studios vying for the spot, a lot can be said about the expectations for the upcoming installment.
Once a decision about the director and the studio has been made, the next question that producers of "Bond 25" will have to answer is who is going to play the role of the legendary spy? "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "Casino Royale," "Skyfall," and "Spectre" actor Daniel Craig has yet to have anything to say on the matter. According to International Business Times, another popular candidate for the fans is "Inception," "The Revenant," and "The Dark Knight Rises" actor Tom Hardy.
The release date of "Bond 25" is still unknown but fans are expecting it to arrive in theaters in 2018.
