As fans wait to see who'll control the James Bond franchise next, with a bidding war recently starting between five different studios, Eon Productions is trying to lock down their next director, as they also wait for Daniel Craig to commit to the movie as well. With Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes long since bowing out, the producers are meeting with filmmakers, including Irish director Paul McGuigan, who is considered to be a top candidate for the job. Nothing is set in stone at this point, but writers Neil Purvis and Robert Wade are currently working on the script.

IndieWire broke the news of Paul McGuigan being in contention for the directorial gig, but it isn't known at this time what other contenders are also being considered. Eon Productions was reportedly so impressed with his work in the upcoming Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool with Annette Bening and Jamie Bell, that he became a contender for this Bond movie. Last month, we reported that Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, longtime Bond writers who have written Spectre, Skyfall, Quantum of Solace, Casino Royale, Die Another Day and The World Is Not Enough, are returning to crack the story for this project, but no story details have been given. During a recent interview, Robert Wade said that Spectre was so closed off that the next movie will be very different. Here's what Neal Purvis had to say about how the Bond movies serve as a reflection of British society.

"Each time you've got to say something about Bond's place in the world, which is Britain's place in the world. But things are moving so quickly now, that becomes tricky. With people like Trump, the Bond villain has become a reality."

As of now, no cast members have been confirmed, as fans and producers alike wait to hear what Daniel Craig will decide about whether or not he'll play 007 in this next Bond movie, but there have been a number of actors throwing their hat in the ring for this movie. Jeffrey Wright teased on social media that he wants to return as his Casino Royale character Felix Leiter in Bond 25, while Dave Bautista has even hinted at returning as Hinx from Spectre. Rainn Wilson has also mentioned that he would like to play a Bond villain, but as of now, nothing is confirmed as the cast goes.

As for Daniel Craig, we reported in September that he was offered an astronomical $150 million to return as James Bond for two more movies, and while there has been talk that the actor has been leaning towards a return, nothing has been made official yet. There has also been talk that Eon Productions wants to start filming James Bond 25 in Croatia by the end of this year, but that naturally will depend on how long it will take Daniel Craig to decide on his 007 return, and how long it takes the production company to decide on a director. Paul McGuigan most recently directed Victor Frankenstein on the big screen, along with episodes of Luke Cage, Designated Survivor and The Family. He is perhaps best known for directing episodes of Sherlock along with the movies Lucky Number Slevin, Gangster No. 1 and Push.