It looks like the next Bond movie has found its director, and it's a man who many perhaps would have overlooked for the job.

After weeks of speculation regarding his involvement, Danny Boyle confirmed in an interview with Metro US that he will be directing Bond 25, which is due to start shooting at the end of 2018.

He said: "We are working on a script right now. And it all depends on that really. I am working on a Richard Curtis script at the moment. We hope to start shooting that in 6 or 7 weeks. Then Bond would be right at the end of the year. But we are working on them both right now.”

The Trainspotting and 28 Days Later director added that his frequent collaborator John Hodge was currently developing an idea for the script that they both had. "We’ve got an idea, John Hodge, the screenwriter, and I have got this idea, and John is writing it at the moment," he said. "And it all depends on how it turns out. It would be foolish of me to give any of it away.”

However, it's worth noting - before you get overly excited about what Boyle can bring to film's most famous franchise - that that aforementioned Richard Curtis script may still get in the way. Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, who wrote Boyle's new film 'Trust', said: "It might not be so straightforward, because there appears to be two scripts being written at the same time," he said. "I’m quite to happy to say that I’m not involved in either.”

With Daniel Craig confirming his return as Bond for Bond 25, this could yet prove to be a very promising partnership...