Danny Boyle Reveals His Biggest 007 Regret: What If Bond Had Returned to Russia?
Imagine Bond’s story starting in Russia — Boyle’s lost vision.
What if James Bond’s final mission took him back to Russia — back to where it all began? That was the vision Danny Boyle had in mind before he walked away from the iconic franchise. And now, with 28 Years Later making headlines, Boyle is finally opening up about the one thing he still regrets: that the world never got to see his Bond.
Speaking to Business Insider, Boyle didn’t mince words:
"That ship has sailed. The thing I regret about that is the script was really good. John Hodge is a wonderful writer. I don’t think they appreciated how good that script was."
Yes, that John Hodge — his longtime collaborator from Trainspotting. Together, they had planned a bold take on Bond that leaned into real-world politics, legacy, and Cold War ghosts. Back in 2022, Boyle teased that the story was “all set in Russia” and would’ve traced Bond’s origins more intimately than ever before.
"It was set in present-day Russia and went back to his origins," Boyle said. "They just lost… they just lost confidence in it."
While the final product — Cary Joji Fukunaga’s No Time to Die—offered closure for Daniel Craig’s Bond, it’s hard not to wonder what we missed. A Russia-set, character-deep Bond film helmed by the man who gave us Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Days Later? That’s the kind of cinematic swing the franchise hasn’t seen in decades.
So why didn’t it happen? Creative differences. Control. Studio politics. Whatever the reason, Boyle’s quiet frustration still lingers beneath his words.
