Daniel Craig, Danny Boyle confirmed for Bond 25

Daniel Craig is returning for the fifth time as James Bond in the 25th film on the fictional British spy, to be directed by "Slumdog Millionaire" fame Danny Boyle, producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced today.

To be produced by EON and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM), the film will be distributed by Universal Pictures globally, starting with a traditional earlier release in the UK on October 25, 2019.

MGM will release the film theatrically in the US on November 8, 2019 through its new joint venture for domestic theatrical distribution with Annapurna Pictures.

Production on Bond 25, written by "Trainspotting" scribe John Hodge, is set to begin from December 3, 2018.

"We are delighted to announce that the exceptionally talented Danny Boyle will be directing Daniel Craig in his fifth outing as James Bond in the 25th installment of the franchise. We will begin shooting Bond 25 at Pinewood Studios in December with our partners at MGM and thrilled that Universal will be our international distributor," Wilson and Broccoli said in a statement.

Universal's Donna Langley said, "The unparalleled combination of Danny's innovative filmmaking and Daniel's embodiment of 007 ensured we simply had to be partners in the next chapter of this iconic series.