Perthshire director tipped to take helm of 007 blockbuster

David MacKenzie in line for next James Bond movie

Perthshire film-maker David MacKenzie could be poised to take the helm of British cinema’s best-loved action franchise.

The 51-year-old has been tipped to direct the 25th James Bond movie, due for release in late 2019.

Details of the project are being kept under wraps, but Daniel Craig looks likely to return as the iconic spy.

Hollywood insiders have named MacKenzie, who is about to start work on his “passion project” Netflix drama about Robert the Bruce, as one of the three up-and-coming directors in the running for the prestigious gig.

According to reports, he will be up against French film-maker Yann Demange – best known for ’71, his 2014 historical thriller set in Northern Ireland – and Candian Denis Villeneuve, the man behind the Blade Runner sequel.

All three are said to be in talks about directing the new Bond movie.

MacKenzie, who is from Trinafour, near Pitlochry, received an Academy Award nomination for his breakthrough hit Hell Or High Water, a modern-day western shot on location in Texas.

Hislatestproject,anambitiousretelling of the Robert the Bruce story for Netflix, starts shooting next month.

Earlier this month, scores of extras were recruited by MacKenzie’s Glasgow-based production company Sigma Films. Casting agents asked specifically for men with impressive beards.

Details and locations for the shoot have been kept a secret, but cameras are expected to start rolling in Scotland on August 21.

There has been speculation that time dedicated to the Netflix film may count against his chances of bagging the Bond gig.

MacKenzie started his stellar career after completing a photography degree at Duncan of Jordanstone college in the 1990s.

He honed his skills with his first film, The Last Great Wilderness, which was mostly shot on a sheep farm in Dunkeld.

His next project saw him directing Ewan McGregor and Tilda Swinton in Young Adam. The 2003 film was shot in locations across Scotland, including Gullane in East Lothian and in parts of Perthshire.

He won global acclaim for his 2013 prison drama Starred Up, which scored him a Bafta for Best Feature.

Picture: Getty. David MacKenzie received an Academy Award nomination for Hell Or High Water.

It is likely Daniel Craig will return as the British spy for the 2019 film.