Danny Boyle Wants Jack O’Connell to Play James Bond

Vampire, cult leader, evil boyfriend — Jack O’Connell has the range. At least Danny Boyle thinks so. Speaking at the Zurich Film Festival, the 28 Years Later director threw his weight behind his boy for James Bond. “They should cast Jack O’Connell as Bond,” he said (per Variety). Boyle left No Time to Die over creative differences with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. “When they asked me to do Bond, we came up with the story and they lost confidence in it,” he said. “It’s a shame, because it could have been really good.” But now that Amazon has 86’d the Broccoli, maybe he has more sway.

Boyle is optimistic about what Denis Villeneuve can do with the franchise. “Villeneuve is amazing. Did you see that beginning of [Dune: Part Three], which they showed before The Odyssey?” he said. “God, if I was directing The Odyssey, I would have thought everybody would be disappointed in my film following it. But obviously, Chris Nolan has more confidence than I have.”

Boyle thinks that O’Connell can play any part, pointing to his role as Amy Winehouse’s no-good boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil as evidence. It’s why he cast O’Connell as villain of tabloid journalism Larry Lamb in Ink. “I thought he should play Larry Lamb, because he’s weird,” Boyle said. “Despite the fact that he’s playing a monster, you’re still interested in him. You’re still intrigued by him and he doesn’t repel you. It was true of the guy in ‘Ink,’ because by the end of the film, his moral conscience – if there ever was one – has dissolved entirely as he pursues success. And you still have to root for him.” Considering James Bond is a representative of the British imperial project, maybe you want an actor that can make you root for the bad guy.