Jonathan Pryce: Danny Boyle was too "socialist" for Bond

How I missed this I have no idea.

Jonathan Pryce wrote:

"They obviously couldn’t take a socialist Bond! You see, there are the Dannys of this world and then there are people who do the blockbusters.”

"You do bring some kind of personal sensibility to your work, but it [the politics] shouldn’t be too obvious, unless it’s a film which is overtly political."

https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/hollywood/jonathan-pryce-says-danny-boyle-was-too-socialist-for-james-bond-5325513/

Delicious.



I was never keen on a Danny Boyle-directed Bond film, going as far back as QOS when he was heavily in contention. What was more attractive about the idea this time round was that it was unlikely to have any strong continuity with Spectre. I have to admit the leaked ideas do sound more intriguing than the story elements of Fukunaga's NTTD, but I think a leftist angle is unavoidable with Babs at the helm.

But Boyle is a director NOT a writer....likewise Fukunaga ? How much input do you feel directors have with regard to story?

Boyle pitched his story idea to Babs and I believe collaborator Hodge was working off Boyle's ideas. As for Fukunaga, he is credited as a co-writer on NTTD. It's not unusual for directors to lock-off the script themselves before shooting. Usually the contribution has to be a sizeable percentage to garner such credit.

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

Boyle pitched his story idea to Babs and I believe collaborator Hodge was working off Boyle's ideas. As for Fukunaga, he is credited as a co-writer on NTTD. It's not unusual for directors to lock-off the script themselves before shooting. Usually the contribution has to be a sizeable percentage to garner such credit.

........I did not know that

His personal politics aside, Boyle is a skilled and varied director ... thrillers, dramas, sci-fi, horror and family films are all in there.

And he was happy to be the 'Star In A Reasonably-Priced Car' on Top Gear (hardly the most leftist of shows, especially in Clarkson's era) and directed Craig and no less an establishment figure than the Queen as part of the London Olympics opening ceremony.

I think his NTTD would've been interesting. Sadly, we'll never know.

Boyle's script had something to do with Russians as the antagonists, so perhaps EON was feeling that Boyle made it too political?

I have no doubt we'll find out more about the Boyle project, but that will probably be after NTTD comes out. I'm most curious of it!

I believe that was indeed the issue, that the producers found Boyle's subject matter too political. IIRC, didn't the production designer suggest that Eon should hold onto the idea to use in the future because it was that good?

If it can't work as Bond film in EON's eyes, perhaps just convert it into a non-Bond picture. Keep it at a modest budget, as Danny Boyle seems more at home with more grounded films than mega-budget projects.

Bond or non-Bond, I'd prefer if socialist propaganda films didn't get made.