LONDON: Film-maker Cary Joji Fukunaga will become the first American to direct a James Bond movie, its producers announced on Thursday, replacing British director Danny Boyle for the storied spy franchise’s 25th installment.

Fukunaga, a surprise pick not among the names touted to direct Daniel Craig in his final outing as 007, takes over after Boyle quit the project last month over “creative differences” with the producing team. The movie will begin filming in March ahead of its worldwide release on Feb 14, 2020.

Fukunaga is best known for directing the first season of the Emmy Award-winning series True Detective and Netflix’s first feature film Beasts of No Nation starring British actor Idris Elba — long tipped as a future 007.

Raised in California by a Japanese-American father and Swedish-American mother, Fukunaga first gained recognition for the 2009 Spanish language film Sin Nombre, which depicted the violent world of Central American gangs — and an obsessive attention to detail that he has since become known for.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2018