Danny Boyle Quit Bond in Dispute Over Casting Tomasz Kot as the Lead Villain

Harry Farley, writing for The Telegraph:

Rumours that the film’s script was the source of the disagreement have been reported, with producers alleged to be unhappy with the decision to focus on contemporary political tensions with Russia and a “modern-day Cold War”.

However one industry source told the Telegraph the split was due to a fall out over whether to cast Tomasz Kot as the lead villain. The 41-year-old Polish actor stars in Cold War, a love story set in 1950s Europe, and was described as a “left-field” decision for a Bond enemy.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Tomasz Kot a few years ago and watched him perform in movies and theatres many times over the years. To see him star in a James Bond film would be completely surreal.