Cary Joji Fukunaga will direct the new James Bond film, the producers have announced.
The 25th Bond instalment will begin filming in London, at Pinewood Studios, on March 4, 2019, with a target release date of February 14, 2020.
Fukunaga, who won acclaim for the 2015 war film Beasts of No Nation, replaces Danny Boyle, who exited the project over differences with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson and returning star Daniel Craig.
"We are delighted to be working with Cary. His versatility and innovation make him an excellent choice for our next James Bond adventure," Broccoli and Wilson said on Twitter.
Fukunaga, who also directed Jane Eyre and multiple episodes of True Detective and Maniac on TV, was not on many - or any - Bond watchers' radar as Boyle's replacement.
Speculation had centred on American Animals director, S.J. Clarkson, who has been chosen to direct the next instalment in the Star Trek franchise; and Yann Demange, the helmer of new release White Boy Rick.
Demange had been considered a strong contender during the first round before the job went, temporarily, to Boyle.
Australian Associated Press
