"No Time to Die" debuted at top of the Irish Singles Chart and the UK Singles Chart. It became Eilish's first number-one single in the UK and made her the first artist born in the 21st century to top the chart. Furthermore, the song became the first James Bond theme by a female artist to top the UK chart, as well as the second Bond theme overall to top that chart.[6] In the United States, "No Time to Die" debuted and peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Background and release
In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Eilish explained how she was offered to make the next James Bond theme for No Time to Die, with her brother Finneas O'Connell. On December 19, 2019, they flew to London to work with Hans Zimmer and his orchestra. Finneas explained in an interview that he and his sister wrote and recorded the new James Bond theme song in three days while on a tour bus in Texas. While "No Time to Die" was still in production, the siblings met with the producer Barbara Broccoli, after performing a show in Dublin. Broccoli had flown to meet Eilish and Finneas. They were given parts of the script and started to create the theme. Finneas had originally tried to write the song on a guitar, but Eilish scrapped the idea. Finneas later found a piano in the green room of a Texas arena and played a riff which would later appear in the song.
Zimmer liked their demo and the trio would eventually meet in person to start recording the song with a 70-person orchestra at George Martin's AIR Studios. She concluded saying, "For, like, a month-ish, like, half a month maybe, we were just kind of going back and forth to their team and us about, like, just getting it right and getting it right and getting it right and it went through a lot of different versions and then we got it, like, we all worked really hard, Hans was incredibly—like, easy to work with. It was a really good, collaborative experience."
https://youtu.be/Rln8dQEMz2Q
Composition and lyrics
Musically, "No Time to Die" is an orchestral pop ballad with R&B influences. The track runs at 74 BPM and is in the key of E minor. It runs at four minutes and two seconds. Eilish's vocals span E3 to D5, which include a belted B4. According to Roisin O'Connor of The Independent, the song "features classic elements of the most memorable Bond themes including a slow build; a dark, shivery theme; and dramatic orchestration". Cassie Da Costa of The Daily Beast said the song "begins with moody, atmospheric piano music before Billie's pop-enunciated alto vibrato creeps in with depressive yet vague observations about love, loss, and violence". The song features orchestral arrangements by Hans Zimmer as well as Johnny Marr on guitar.
According to Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork, the lyrics reflect the "betrayal hinted at in the film's trailer and embody the tension of espionage". In the chorus of the song, Eilish sings about a lover's betrayal "Was I stupid to love you?/ Was I reckless to help?/Was it obvious to everybody else/That I'd fallen for a lie?/You were never on my side/Fool me once, fool me twice/Are you death or paradise?/Now you'll never see me cry/There's just no time to die."
Development began in 2016. It is the first Bond film distributed by Universal Pictures, which acquired the international distribution rights following the expiration of Sony Pictures' contract after the release of Spectre in 2015. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer subsidiary United Artists Releasing holds the rights for North America, as well as worldwide digital and television rights; Universal also holds the worldwide rights for physical home media. Danny Boyle was originally attached to direct and co-write the screenplay with John Hodge. Both left due to creative differences in August 2018, and Fukunaga was announced as Boyle's replacement a month later. Most of the cast had signed on by April 2019. Principal photography was from April to October 2019 under the working title Bond 25. The final title was announced in August 2019.
No Time to Die had its world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 28 September 2021, and was released in cinemas on 30 September 2021 in the United Kingdom and on 8 October 2021 in the United States, after being delayed by Boyle's departure and later by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received generally positive reviews, with many citing it as a fitting conclusion to Craig's time as Bond, and has grossed $313 million worldwide, making it the ninth highest-grossing film of 2021.
https://youtu.be/dI8Htv7pdcQ
Plot
A young Madeleine Swann witnesses the murder of her mother by Lyutsifer Safin in a failed attempt to murder her father Mr. White. Madeleine shoots Safin as he searches for her but he survives. Madeleine flees onto a nearby frozen lake and falls through the ice, but Safin rescues her.
After the capture of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Madeleine is in Matera with James Bond. Spectre assassins ambush Bond when he visits Vesper Lynd's tomb. Though Bond and Madeleine overcome the assassins, Bond believes that Madeleine has betrayed him despite her pleas and leaves her.
Five years later, MI6 scientist Valdo Obruchev is kidnapped from an MI6 laboratory. Approved by M, Obruchev has developed "Project Heracles", a bioweapon containing nanobots that infect like a virus upon touch and are coded to an individual's specific DNA, rendering it lethal to the target but harmless to others. Bond has retired to Jamaica, where he is contacted by CIA agent Felix Leiter with his colleague Logan Ash. Leiter asks for help in tracking down Obruchev but Bond declines. The same evening, Bond encounters an MI6 agent named Nomi who has succeeded him as the new 007. Being informed by Nomi about "Project Heracles", Bond subsequently agrees to help Leiter.
Bond goes to Cuba and meets a CIA agent named Paloma, who is allied with Leiter. Bond and Paloma infiltrate a Spectre meeting for Blofeld's birthday to retrieve Obruchev. Blofeld, who is using a disembodied "bionic eye" to lead the meeting while still being imprisoned in Belmarsh, orders his members to kill Bond with a "nanobot mist". Instead, the mist kills all Spectre members, as Obruchev had reprogrammed the nanobots to infect them on Safin's orders. Bond captures Obruchev before meeting Leiter and Ash. However, Ash is revealed to be a double agent working for Safin as he kills Leiter and escapes with Obruchev.
Moneypenny and Q arrange a meeting between Bond and Blofeld in prison to try to locate Obruchev. However Safin visits and coerces Madeleine to infect herself with a nanobot dose to kill Blofeld, as she has been in contact with him since his imprisonment. When Bond encounters Madeleine at Blofeld's prison cell, he touches her and unknowingly infects himself before she leaves. Blofeld confesses to Bond that he staged the ambush at Vesper's tomb to appear as if Madeline had betrayed him. Bond reacts by attacking Blofeld, unintentionally causing the nanobots to infect and kill him.
Bond tracks Madeleine down to her childhood home in Norway and learns she has a five-year-old daughter named Mathilde, whom Madeleine claims is not his. Madeleine tells Bond that when Safin was a boy his parents were murdered by her father on Blofeld's orders. Safin has since sought revenge. Having killed Blofeld and destroyed Spectre, Safin continues his rampage with Ash and their entourage in pursuit of Bond, Madeleine and Mathilde. Though Bond kills off Ash and his thugs, Safin captures Madeleine and Mathilde.
Q enables Bond and Nomi to infiltrate Safin's headquarters located in a Second World War base on an island between Japan and Russia. Inside they discover that the base has been converted into a nanobot factory, where Obruchev is mass-producing the technology, so Safin can unleash it globally to kill millions of people and establish a new world order. Bond kills many of Safin's men while Nomi kills Obruchev by pushing him into a nanobot vat. After rescuing Madeleine and Mathilde, Bond has them escape with Nomi from the island while he stays behind to open the island's silo doors, which would enable a missile strike from HMS Dragon to destroy the factory.
Bond kills Safin's remaining men before confronting Safin himself; they fight and Safin shoots Bond before infecting him with a vial containing nanobots programmed to kill Madeleine and Mathilde. Despite his injuries, Bond kills Safin and opens the silos. Speaking by radio with Madeleine, Bond tells her he loves her and encourages her to move on without him, and she confirms that Mathilde is his daughter as Bond says goodbye. Bond accepts his fate as the missiles hit the island, destroying the nanobot factory and killing him.
At MI6, M, Moneypenny, Q, Tanner, and Nomi drink in Bond's honour. Madeleine takes Mathilde to Matera and begins to tell her a story about a man named "Bond, James Bond."
https://youtu.be/BIhNsAtPbPI
Cast
Daniel Craig as James Bond: A former MI6 agent who was known as 007 during his service and has been retired for five years at the start of the film. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga compared Bond to a "wounded animal" and described his state of mind as "struggling to deal with his role as a '00' [agent]. The world's changed. The rules of engagement aren't what they used to be. The rules of espionage are darker in this era of asymmetric warfare". Craig stated that the film is "about relationships and family".
Rami Malek as Lyutsifer Safin: A terrorist leader on a revenge mission against Spectre who later becomes Bond's new adversary by coming to conflict with him and Swann. Producer Barbara Broccoli described the character as "the one that really gets under Bond's skin. He's a nasty piece of work." Malek described the character as someone who considers "himself as a hero almost in the same way that Bond is a hero". Fukunaga described Safin as "more dangerous than anyone [Bond has] ever encountered" and a "hyper-intelligent and worthy adversary".
Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann: A psychiatrist, daughter of Mr. White, and Bond's love interest who assisted him in his mission in the film Spectre. Fukunaga underscored Swann's importance to the film, as her presence allowed him to explore Bond's unresolved trauma stemming from the death of Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. After seeing the film, Seydoux said, "There's a lot of emotion in this Bond. It's very moving. I bet you're going to cry. When I watched it, I cried, which is weird because I am in it".
https://youtu.be/xW5ZdYxSlzg
Lashana Lynch as Nomi: A new "00" agent who entered active service some time after Bond's retirement and was assigned the 007 number. Lynch has said that she hopes her character brings a new layer of relatability to the world of espionage: "When you're dealing with a franchise that has been slick for so many years, I wanted to throw a human spin on it—to deal with anxiety and be someone who's figuring it out, completely on her toes".
Ben Whishaw as Q: MI6's Quartermaster who outfits "00" agents with equipment for use in the field. In the film, Q is revealed to be gay when Moneypenny and Bond interrupt him planning a dinner date. Whishaw considers his version of Q to have ended saying, "I think I'm done now. I've done the three that I was ... contracted to do. So I think that might be it for me".
Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny: M's secretary and Bond's ally. Harris says since Spectre, "Moneypenny has grown up somewhat. I think she still has her soft spot for Bond though, that’s never going to go. But she’s an independent woman with her own life".
Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter: Bond's friend and a CIA field officer. Wright was asked what can be expected from Felix in the film, to which he replied, "Well, I think it's known that Felix pulls James back into the game and away we go from there". While Wright was surprised he was not asked to return in Skyfall and Spectre, he felt Felix's return in No Time to Die "gives more weight" due to his prior absence. Wright said that the film establishes the brotherhood of Bond and Felix, which he described as the "core" of their relationship.
Christoph Waltz as Ernst Stavro Blofeld: Bond's arch-enemy and foster brother. He is the founder and head of the criminal syndicate Spectre and is now in MI6 custody. Fukunaga explained why Blofeld returns and teased the character's "new role" in the film by saying, "Blofeld is an iconic character in all the Bond films. He's in prison, but he certainly can't be done yet, right? So what could he be doing from in there and what nefarious, sadistic things does he have planned for James Bond and the rest of the world?".
Billy Magnussen as Logan Ash: A CIA agent assigned by Leiter to support Bond in finding Obruchev.
Ana de Armas as Paloma: A CIA agent assisting Bond. De Armas described her character as "irresponsible" and "bubbly" and playing a key role in Bond's mission.
David Dencik as Valdo Obruchev: A scientist whose disappearance Bond investigates.
In February 2018, Danny Boyle was established as a frontrunner for the directing position. Boyle's original pitch to Broccoli and Wilson saw John Hodge writing a screenplay based on Boyle's idea with Purvis and Wade's version scrapped. Hodge's draft was greenlit, and Boyle was confirmed to direct with a production start date of December 2018. However, Boyle and Hodge left in August 2018 due to creative differences. During Boyle's time as director, a leaked casting sheet described the male leading role as a "cold and charismatic Russian" and the female leading role as a "witty and skillful survivor". Production also sought male supporting roles of Māori descent with "advanced combat skills". It was reported at the time that Boyle's exit was due to the casting of Tomasz Kot as the lead villain; however, Boyle later confirmed the dispute was over the script.
https://youtu.be/_41ZduYRQKg
Following Boyle's departure, the release date became contingent on whether the studio could find a replacement within sixty days. Cary Joji Fukunaga was announced as the new director in September 2018. Fukunaga became the first American to direct an Eon ProductionsBond film and the first director to receive a writing credit for any version. Fukunaga had been considered for Spectre before Mendes was hired, and afterwards had expressed an interest to Broccoli and Wilson about directing a future Bond film. Linus Sandgren was hired as cinematographer in December 2018.
https://youtu.be/kmKDyEdq2Vw
Purvis and Wade were brought back to start working on a new script with Fukunaga in September 2018. Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace screenwriter Paul Haggis turned in an uncredited rewrite in November 2018, with Scott Z. Burns doing the same in February 2019. At Daniel Craig's request, Phoebe Waller-Bridge provided a script polish in April 2019. Waller-Bridge was hired to revise dialogue, work on character development and add humour to the script. Waller-Bridge is the second female screenwriter credited with writing a Bond film after Johanna Harwood co-wrote Dr. No and From Russia with Love. Barbara Broccoli was questioned about the Me Too movement at the Bond 25 launch event, where she stated that Bond's attitude towards women would move with the times and the films should reflect that. In a separate interview, Waller-Bridge argued that Bond was still relevant and that "he needs to be true to this character", instead suggesting that it was the films which had to grow and evolve, emphasising "the important thing is that the film treats the women properly".
Some concepts changed during development with Fukunaga. An early unrealised idea he considered was to have seen the film take place "inside Bond's head", while being tortured by Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Spectre, up until the end of act two of a three-act structure. Originally, Safin, the villain, and his henchman would wear masks based on Siberian bear-hunting armour. The henchman character was written out before filming, and Fukunaga requested changes to Safin's costume. A new mask based on Noh, a Japanese style of theatre, was introduced as Fukunaga felt that the original mask was dominating the costume.
The film entered production under the working title of Bond 25. The title No Time to Die was announced on 20 August 2019. Broccoli said, "We were struggling to find a title. We wanted a title that wouldn't give away anything but would be understandable, and after you see the movie, have a deeper resonance, because that's often what Fleming titles are all about".
https://youtu.be/gxI86obGiu0
Casting
After Spectre, there was speculation that it would be Daniel Craig's final Bond film. Immediately after the film's release, Craig had complained about the rigours of performing the part, saying he would rather "slash [his] wrists" than play Bond again. In May 2016, it was reported that Craig had received a $100 million offer from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to do two more Bond films, but turned it down. In October 2016, Craig denied having made a decision but praised his time in the role, describing it as "the best job in the world doing Bond". He further denied that $150 million was offered to him for the next two instalments. In August 2017, Craig said that the next film would mark his final appearance as Bond on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He reiterated his position in November 2019 and again in March 2020, following reports that he was in fact considering a reprise of the role one last time. Craig later acknowledged that the physicality of the part had deterred him from returning to the role, having sustained injuries while filming earlier Bond films. With Craig's departure, Broccoli said that No Time to Die would conclude several narratives from Craig's previous Bond films and "come to an emotionally satisfying conclusion".
Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen, and Rami Malek were announced as cast members in a live stream, at Ian Fleming's Goldeneye estate in Jamaica. The event was on 25 April 2019 and marked the official start of production. Malek was further announced as playing Safin, the film's villain. Malek revealed in an interview that Safin would not be connected to any religion or ideology.
After the release of Spectre it was reported that Christoph Waltz had signed on to return as Ernst Stavro Blofeld for further Bond films, on the condition that Craig returned as Bond. Despite Craig's definite casting as Bond, Waltz announced in October 2017 that he would not return as Blofeld, but did not give a reason for his departure. Waltz's casting as Blofeld in No Time to Die was not announced at the press launch but was revealed in the trailer in December 2019.
https://youtu.be/HXAg08_PPLM
Filming
Production was scheduled to begin on 3 December 2018 at Pinewood Studios, but filming was delayed until April 2019 after the departure of Danny Boyle as director. The film is the first in the series to have sequences shot with 65mm IMAX film cameras. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga and cinematographer Linus Sandgren pushed for using film over digital to enhance the look of the film. No Time to Die features the Aston Martin Valhalla.
https://youtu.be/53ZVyYimzyc
Filming locations included Italy, Jamaica, Norway, the Faroe Islands and London, in addition to Pinewood Studios. In March 2019, production commenced in Nittedal, Norway, with the second unit capturing scenes at a frozen lake. On 28 April 2019, principal photography officially began in Jamaica, including Port Antonio. In May 2019, Daniel Craig sustained an ankle injury whilst filming in Jamaica and subsequently underwent minor surgery.
https://youtu.be/Nm_7Xuv8mD0
In June 2019, production was further interrupted when a controlled explosion damaged the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios and left a crew member with minor injuries. Also in June 2019, production went back to Norway to shoot a driving sequence along the Atlantic Ocean Road featuring an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Aston Martin also confirmed that the DB5, DBS Superleggera, and Valhalla models would feature in the film.
In late August 2019, the second unit moved to southern Italy where they began to shoot a chase sequence involving an Aston Martin DB5 through the streets of Matera. In early September 2019, the main production unit, Craig and Léa Seydoux arrived to film scenes inside several production-built sets, as well as further sequences in Maratea and Gravina in Puglia. Scenes were shot in the town of Sapri in southern Italy throughout September. Locations included the town's "midnight canal" and railway station. The city is referred to as "Civita Lucana" in the film. In late September 2019, scenes were filmed in the Faroe Islands.
Ben Whishaw praised Fukunaga's directing work: "It was great and you know what was amazing is that he treated it, or was able to approach it, it felt to me almost as if it were an independent film. You know? And it was quite improvisational... we didn't do many takes". He added, "It was very light. Sometimes quite chaotic, but I'm very excited to see how he's constructed the final film".
https://youtu.be/B4T4E-sSwa0
Principal photography wrapped on 25 October 2019 at Pinewood Studios with the filming of a chase sequence set in Havana, Cuba. Production had intended to shoot the sequence earlier, but was forced to reschedule when Craig injured his ankle in Jamaica. Further pick-up shots at Pinewood were confirmed by Fukunaga on 20 December 2019.
In July 2019, Dan Romer was announced as composer for the film's score, having previously worked with Cary Joji Fukunaga on Beasts of No Nation and Maniac. Romer left the film due to creative differences in November 2019. Hans Zimmer replaced Romer by January 2020. It is the first time in the Bond series history that a composer has been replaced during post-production, and the second major personnel change for the film after Danny Boyle left as director. Steve Mazzaro produced the score, while Johnny Marr played guitar. The No Time to Die score album was set to be released through Decca Records in March 2020 but was delayed to 1 October 2021 to coincide with the release of the film.
In January 2020, Billie Eilish was announced as the performer of the film's theme song, with her brother, Finneas O'Connell, serving as co-writer as well as the track's producer. The song, which has the same title, was released on 13 February 2020. At the age of 18, Eilish is the youngest artist to record a James Bond theme song. Despite the film's delay, the song was nominated for and won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, on 14 March 2021, six months before the film's release date, because the song itself was released during the 2019–20 eligibility period, in anticipation of the film's original April 2020 release date.
https://youtu.be/F_nZ2V4kbiU
In October 2020, it was announced that a song "Dans la ville endormie" by French singer Dalida would be featured, for a scene situated in France. It was followed with a 10" vinyl single issue, and an official clip made in the style of James Bond credits.
No Time to Die was scheduled for release in November 2019, but was postponed to February 2020 and then to April 2020 after Danny Boyle's departure. The premiere in China and a countrywide publicity tour, planned for April 2020, were cancelled due to the early outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. By March 2020, the global spread of the virus and the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization prompted a joint open letter from two James Bondfan sites addressed to the producers. The letter asked that the release be delayed to minimise the risk of spreading the disease and to ensure the film's commercial success.
On 4 March 2020, MGM and Eon Productions announced that after "thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace" they had postponed the release until 12 November 2020 in the United Kingdom and 25 November 2020 in the United States. No Time to Die was the first major film affected by the pandemic. According to Deadline Hollywood, MGM and Universal needed to assure a strong performance across all international markets. It was hoped that the rescheduling to November would ensure all cinemas, particularly those in China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, and France that were closed due to the pandemic, would be open and operational.
In the early stages of the pandemic, an estimated 70,000 cinemas in China closed, and countries including Australia and the United Kingdom closed cinemas to minimise the spread of the virus. Variety said the studio had already spent $66 million on promoting the film, while The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the delay cost MGM $30–50 million in wasted marketing costs, estimating that the global box office losses could have exceeded $300 million had the film stayed in its April 2020 slot. In October 2020, No Time to Die was delayed again to 2 April 2021. The decision to delay the release was made when it became apparent that theatrical markets, especially in the United States, would not see full demand. After the delay was announced, the British chain Cineworld, the world's second-largest cinema chain, closed its cinemas indefinitely. Chief executive Mooky Greidinger said the delay of No Time to Die was the "last straw" for Cineworld following a string of other film delays and cancellations.
In January 2021, the film was rescheduled again, to 8 October 2021. In February 2021, an earlier release date of 30 September 2021 was announced for the United Kingdom. In August 2021, it was announced that the world premiere would be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 28 September 2021; whilst the release date in Australia was delayed from 30 September to 11 November 2021, in response to their national lockdowns. It was also screened at the Zurich Film Festival on the same day as the world premiere and the first Bond film to be in the official selection at a festival.
Reception
Box office
As of 10 October 2021, No Time to Die has grossed $56 million in the United States and Canada, and $257.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $313.3 million. Due to its combined production and promotional costs of at least $350 million, the film needs to gross $750–800 million worldwide in order to break-even.
No Time to Die's opening weekend set a $119.1 million box office from 54 countries, including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Spain, besting its $90 million projections. It was the first film since the COVID-19 pandemic that crossed $100 million in an overseas debut without the China market.
In the United States and Canada, No Time to Die was projected to gross $65–85 million in its opening weekend. The film made $23.3 million on its first day, including $6.3 million from Thursday night previews, the best total of the franchise. It went on to debut to $56 million, topping the box office and marking the fourth-best opening weekend of the franchise. Deadline Hollywood attributed the slight underperformance to the film's 163-minute runtime both limiting the number of showtimes, while noting just 12% of the weekend's business came from showtimes after 9 PM (compared to the 90-minute Venom: Let There Be Carnage having 20% of its opening gross come from later screenings). TheWrap said that the opening was good news for theatres, even if the studio did not break-even during the film's theatrical run, and that it was an encouraging sign for upcoming adult-oriented pictures.
Critical response
According to review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of 297 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It isn't the sleekest or most daring 007 adventure, but No Time to Die concludes Daniel Craig's franchise tenure in satisfying style." Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 69 out of 100 based on 63 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an 83% positive score, with 63% saying they would definitely recommend it.
https://youtu.be/DxokGq9Gt-o
The film has received praise and five-star reviews from many film critics. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it "an epic barnstormer" delivered "with terrific panache" and with "pathos, action, drama, camp comedy, heartbreak, macabre horror, and outrageously silly old-fashioned action". Zach Marsh of FilmSpeak called it one of the greatest films in the series, with particular acclaim for Fukunaga's direction of the action sequences; he said Craig's performance was the best of any Bond performance and deserving of an Academy Award nomination, echoing similar sentiments from critics after the premiere of Casino Royale. Robbie Collin of The Telegraph described it as "extravagantly satisfying", "often very funny" with gadgets "both improbable and outrageous", and that it has been filmed with "gorgeous" cinematography, starting with "a sensationally thrilling and sinister prologue" and ending with a "moving conclusion". Kevin Maher of The Times said: "It's better than good. It's magnificent."
Linda Marric of The Jewish Chronicle wrote: "This is truly everything we expected from Craig's last ever Bond, leaving the actor a chance to pursue other projects away from the burden of having to keep on reprising the same role again and again." Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail wrote that the film "makes sure that my eyes are following each and every oh-whoa stunt. As well as guaranteeing that I actually care about whether (or, really, how) Bond gets out of this one." Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the film "takes its place among the best of the entire series", and concluded: "Craig leaves the series in a mammoth, 163-minute extravaganza that audiences will be enjoying for decades. It’s a lovely thing to see." K. Austin Collins of Rolling Stone described the film as being "just fine: sometimes intriguing, sometimes not, sometimes boring, sometimes not", adding: "It's a bit more successful if we think of it instead as a tribute to the Craig era, and to the star himself."
https://youtu.be/YnbsN1C435M
Some reviewers, though, found fault with the film. John Nugent of Empire criticised its length (2 hours and 43 minutes), asserting that the plotting and exposition in the middle third "doesn't justify that heaving runtime". Nevertheless, he thought the film "a fitting end to the Craig era". Kyle Smith of National Review also criticised the film's length, and described it as "the least fun and most somber excursion in the entire Bond series". Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent found it uneventful and disappointing: its core premise of a biological weapon of mass destruction was described as "generic spy nonsense", while she felt that Rami Malek "gives almost nothing to the role beyond his accent and stereotyped disfigurement makeup". David Sexton of New Statesman wrote that the film "shows signs of emerging from an over-deliberated, market-sensitised production process", adding: "it delivers the set-pieces without ever trying to connect them with any urgency, almost like an anthology or re-mix." Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film a score of 2/4 stars, writing: "For something that once felt like it so deftly balanced the old of a timeless character with a new, richer style, perhaps the biggest knock against [the film] is that there's nothing here that hasn't been done better in one of the other Craig movies."
When James Bond (Daniel Craig) says that line to Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) nine minutes into “No Time to Die,” it may not mean much to the average moviegoer. But to Bond fans worldwide, it’s one of the most important in the history of the franchise, and a subtle hint of possible tragedy to come.
For “We have all the time in the world” is not just the key line in the screenplay of 1969’s “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” it’s the title of the song performed in the mid-section of that movie by jazz great Louis Armstrong, derived from British composer John Barry’s love theme for the film.
Now, that memorable music from 52 years ago has been interpolated into the latest 007 epic no fewer than three times. The melody is heard in Hans Zimmer’s “No Time to Die” underscore right after Craig says the line in the pre-credits sequence. It returns in another, moving scene, near the end of the film — and the full, original Armstrong vocal then plays under the film’s end credits.
It’s startling enough to hear Craig utter that line, as it sets off alarm bells in the mind of any dyed-in-the-wool Bond buff. In “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” it is the final line of dialogue, said by 007 (George Lazenby) moments after Blofeld murders Tracy (Diana Rigg), the British agent’s new wife, as they set off on their honeymoon.
https://youtu.be/RktwEMS0u28
There’s yet another callback to the 1969 film in Zimmer’s score, beyond the repeated use of “We Have All the Time in the World.” Bond aficionados will recognize that Zimmer has also added a reference to Barry’s all-instrumental title theme from “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” a march signifying 007’s association with the Secret Service, during a scene in which Bond converses with M (Ralph Fiennes) about the danger posed by a lethal DNA-based weapon.
Insiders say the use of “We Have All the Time in the World” in the new film was decided early on as a callback to Bond from an earlier era. And as the film goes into the end credits, instead of a reprise of the Billie Eilish title song — which, with its theme of love and betrayal, fits nicely with the opening titles but might not be the right mood for exit music — we get the classic Armstrong vocal. Later in the credits, the Eilish song does return, but in a version with the pop star humming the tune instead of singing it.
John Barry, who died in 2011, is considered the architect of Bond’s musical style. He arranged the original “James Bond Theme,” giving it a dynamic, dangerous sound, and went on to score 11 of the films, including such Sean Connery gems as “Goldfinger” and “Thunderball,” Roger Moore’s “Octopussy” and “A View to a Kill,” Timothy Dalton’s “The Living Daylights” and, of course, Lazenby’s sole outing in “OHMSS.”
Many Bond fans consider “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (despite the absence of Connery) one of the greatest of all 007 films, and Barry’s score one of the strongest. The love theme is gorgeous, and lyricist Hal David drew his title and inspiration from the line in Ian Fleming’s original 1963 novel. Armstrong’s voice lent a world-weary quality to the song, and Barry’s final, string-drenched instrumental of the tune sent audiences out of the theater in tears.
Coincidentally (or maybe not) “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” finds Bond resigning from the service, and snippets of music from “Dr. No,” “From Russia With Love” and “Thunderball” play while he cleans out his desk, while the janitor outside his office whistles “Goldfinger.” So quoting music from “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” brings things full circle in “No Time to Die.”
https://youtu.be/MyTofpAK4vU
Ironically, audiences watching “No Time to Die” will actually hear more of the Armstrong song than they did in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” where it graced a montage of Bond and Tracy falling in love but was trimmed to only about two minutes.
Effectively ignored at the time of its 1969 release, “We Have All the Time in the World” never charted in either the U.S. or U.K. But its use a quarter-century later in a Guinness beer commercial sent it to No. 3 on the U.K. singles chart, and it is today considered one of the greatest songs in the history of Bond.
https://youtu.be/Nf9_bsCxILw
'No Time To Die' behind-the-scenes secrets revealed in new book
Tom Butler·Senior EditorWed, 27 October 2021, 9:06 pm
No Time To Die: The Making of The Film by Mark Salisbury (Titan Books)
No Time To Die, the 25th James Bond film (in cinemas now), is a huge film in every sense. Not only is the globe-trotting adventure the longest 007 film ever, it’s also packed with Easter eggs, and hidden secrets that begin to emerge with repeat viewings.
A new book No Time To Die: The Making of the Film by Mark Salisbury, out now through Titan Books, sheds new light on the film having had unprecedented access to the film behind the scenes
Sure to be on the Christmas list of every movie fan this year, here’s just some of the surprising things we learned about Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007.
Authentic ice
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
The film opens with a horror-inspired flashback sequence in Norway with a young Madeleine Swann (Coline Défaud) being pursued by Safin (Rami Malek) across a frozen lake. It was one of the first things shot for the film, with the second unit shooting on location near the village of Hakadal, half an hour from Oslo in March 2019 before the lake melted in Spring.
Close ups of the actors were captured at Pinewood Studios in the UK, where the conditions could be much more closely controlled. But in order to recreate a portion of the frozen lake on Stage U at Pinewood, 120 square metres of ice were harvested from a Norwegian lake and transported to England, as the director felt the real thing was more authentic than locally created ice.
“We look at using a plastic epoxy version, but nothing was as clear and beautiful as real ice,” Cary Joji Fukunaga explains in the book.
Safin’s look
Rami Malek in No Time To Die (Universal Pictures/MGM)
Safin’s introduction in the film was originally slightly different. Earlier drafts of the scripts had Rami Malek's villain and a secondary henchman going to Mr White’s lakeside house, with the henchman killed by Madeleine’s hail of bullets.
However, both characters were amalgamated into one in later drafts, giving Safin his creepy resurrection moment. The Noh mask used in the film was originally the henchman’s, with Safin wearing an 18th century hunting mask. Fukanaga describes this alternative design as being ‘almost like a Hellraiser mask with spikes all over it’.
Roger Moore as 007, driving a snowmobile in a publicity still for the James Bond film 'A View To A Kill', 1984. (Keith Hamshere/Getty Images)
Fukanaga also admits that Safin’s all white snow gear is a nod to Roger Moore’s Bogner snowsuit that he wore in A View To A Kill — the first Bond film the director saw.
Madeleine’s DB5 moment
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
The action highlight of the film’s pre-title sequence is the heavily trailed Matera scene with the classic Aston Martin DB5 deploying a number of gadgets while being pursued by SPECTRE goons.
Original drafts of the story had Madeleine driving the car in this sequence, but was switched to Bond later in development. Ten cars in total were used to shoot the scene: two 1964 models, and eight stunt cars, two with driving pods on the roof. One gadget added to the car by Q — a changing LED licence plate — isn’t used in the final film.
Primo was spotted in a music video
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
Described by Dali Benssalah, the actor who plays him, as ‘a kind of war dog’, the one-eyed Primo is one of the most memorable baddies of the Daniel Craig era. The French-born actor came to the film in a surprising way, as he was spotted by Fukunaga’s assistant in a 2017 music video for Territory by French duo The Blaze.
Described by Dali Benssalah, the actor who plays him, as ‘a kind of war dog’, the one-eyed Primo is one of the most memorable baddies of the Daniel Craig era. The French-born actor came to the film in a surprising way, as he was spotted by Fukunaga’s assistant in a 2017 music video for Territory by French duo The Blaze.
Described by Dali Benssalah, the actor who plays him, as ‘a kind of war dog’, the one-eyed Primo is one of the most memorable baddies of the Daniel Craig era. The French-born actor came to the film in a surprising way, as he was spotted by Fukunaga’s assistant in a 2017 music video for Territory by French duo The Blaze.
https://youtu.be/54fea7wuV6s
She showed the clip to Fukunaga who then asked the actor to audition for the part. The character’s haircut and fondness for leisurewear seems to have been lifted straight from the music video too.
The explosion that ripped the wall off Pinewood
In June 2019 an explosion at Pinewood Studios generated headlines around the world after the walls of the famous 007 stage were ripped off, and a member of the crew injured. The new book reveals it was the explosion in the secret Herecles lab that caused the blast.
Special effects supervisor Chris Courbould said it wasn't as bad as it seemed: “It was a lot of fuss over not very much and wasn’t as dramatic as it looked, because the exterior panels are only made of foam.” It put the stage out of action but not for long.
David Dencik's other Bond audition
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
Russian scientist Valdo Obruchev featured much more heavily in No Time To Die than had been expected, with Chernobyl star David Dencik bringing the snivelling boffin to life with obvious glee.
However, he reveals in the book that he had previously met with casting director Debbie McWilliams for a part in 2012’s Skyfall. “I didn’t get the part,” he shares, without divulging which part he was up for. Beyond Bond, the other big non-English roles in that film were Javier Bardem’s Silva and Ola Rapace’s Patrice.
A familiar bar
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
Outside of Bond’s retirement home (from production designer Mark Tildesley and set decorator Veronique Melery), the most memorable location in the Jamaica sequence is the club in which Bond meets up with Felix Leiter and Logan Ash.
Although it looks very different in the Bond film, the bar has a cinematic past, as it was also used as a location in the 1988 Tom Cruise film Cocktail.
American actor Tom Cruise playing the role of a barman in the film Cocktail. 1988 (Photo by Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
It’s actually an open-sided bar right on the beach that they built out with a new bar and a new LED dance floor for Bond. And despite appearances, they shot the night time sequence during the day “on this absolutely pristine beach with the sea lapping on the shore, ten yards away”.
The V8
James Bond uncovers an old friend in No Time To Die. (@007/Instagram)
Watch carefully during the Billie Eilish scored title scenes from longtime series regular Daniel Kleinman, and you’ll see Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 finally being ditched in the drink. After 60 years, and eight appearances, the classic Bond car appears to be going back into retirement.
No Time To Die though brings another classic out of mothballs though, with Bond retrieving an Aston Martin V8 — last seen in 1987’s The Living Daylights — from his lock up. Producer Barbara Broccoli says it was Daniel Craig’s idea to bring this particular model back to the franchise, calling it a ‘really beautiful’ motor. “It’s not even an Easter egg,” adds Craig. “It’s for the fans.”
Chris Corbould confirms that unlike Dalton’s version, Craig’s V8 has no gadgets: It’s Bond’s personal car.
The Blofeld scene
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
There’s a reductive assumption that Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge was simply brought on to punch up the female roles, or to add gags to the No Time To Die script. And while both of those things have some truth to them, the book makes it clear that she brought so much more to the film.
One particular scene that Fukunaga says she had a key part in was Bond’s interrogation with Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), which Daniel Craig is also credited with working on. “I think there were some things that Bond wanted to say to Blofeld that didn’t quite come out in the last film,” he explains. “Phoebe and I went through it and edited it, but the bones of it are what Daniel wanted.”
An alternative Cuba scene
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
Episode four of the Cary Fukunaga-directed True Detective S1 featured an incredible six-minute, one take, action sequence. Called a ‘oner’ in the trade, the director uses another one for Daniel Craig’s final punch up which takes place in a stairwell on Safin’s Poison Island. “There’s nothing more that puts you more into the ‘present tense’ than a oner,” he explains.
Had it purely been down to Fukunaga though, No Time To Die would have featured ‘ten oners’ — including the entire Cuba fight sequence (can you imagine?!) — but due to the logistical complexity required for them, only one made it into the final film.
Supervising stunt coordinator Olivier Schneider choreographed the bruising three-minute sequence, dubbed ‘brutal stars’ by the production, which culminates in a hand-to-hand scuffle with Primo.
No Time To Die: The Making of The Film by Mark Salisbury (Titan Books)
No Time To Die: The Making of the Film by Mark Salisbury is available from Titan Books now. No Time To Die is in cinemas now.
“No Time to Die” debuted at top of the Irish Singles Chart and the UK Singles Chart. It became Eilish’s first number-one single in the UK and made her the first artist born in the 21st century to top the chart. Furthermore, the song became the first James Bond theme by a female artist to top the UK chart, as well as the second Bond theme overall to top that chart.[6] In the United States, “No Time to Die” debuted and peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Background and release
In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Eilish explained how she was offered to make the next James Bond theme for No Time to Die, with her brother Finneas O’Connell. On December 19, 2019, they flew to London to work with Hans Zimmer and his orchestra. Finneas explained in an interview that he and his sister wrote and recorded the new James Bond theme song in three days while on a tour bus in Texas. While “No Time to Die” was still in production, the siblings met with the producer Barbara Broccoli, after performing a show in Dublin. Broccoli had flown to meet Eilish and Finneas. They were given parts of the script and started to create the theme. Finneas had originally tried to write the song on a guitar, but Eilish scrapped the idea. Finneas later found a piano in the green room of a Texas arena and played a riff which would later appear in the song.
Zimmer liked their demo and the trio would eventually meet in person to start recording the song with a 70-person orchestra at George Martin‘s AIR Studios. She concluded saying, “For, like, a month-ish, like, half a month maybe, we were just kind of going back and forth to their team and us about, like, just getting it right and getting it right and getting it right and it went through a lot of different versions and then we got it, like, we all worked really hard, Hans was incredibly—like, easy to work with. It was a really good, collaborative experience.”
Billie Eilish and FINNEAS Share How They Came Up with the James Bond Theme
Composition and lyrics
Musically, “No Time to Die” is an orchestral pop ballad with R&B influences. The track runs at 74 BPM and is in the key of E minor. It runs at four minutes and two seconds. Eilish’s vocals span E3 to D5, which include a belted B4. According to Roisin O’Connor of The Independent, the song “features classic elements of the most memorable Bond themes including a slow build; a dark, shivery theme; and dramatic orchestration”. Cassie Da Costa of The Daily Beast said the song “begins with moody, atmospheric piano music before Billie’s pop-enunciated alto vibrato creeps in with depressive yet vague observations about love, loss, and violence”. The song features orchestral arrangements by Hans Zimmer as well as Johnny Marr on guitar.
According to Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork, the lyrics reflect the “betrayal hinted at in the film’s trailer and embody the tension of espionage”. In the chorus of the song, Eilish sings about a lover’s betrayal “Was I stupid to love you?/ Was I reckless to help?/Was it obvious to everybody else/That I’d fallen for a lie?/You were never on my side/Fool me once, fool me twice/Are you death or paradise?/Now you’ll never see me cry/There’s just no time to die.”
Development began in 2016. It is the first Bond film distributed by Universal Pictures, which acquired the international distribution rights following the expiration of Sony Pictures‘ contract after the release of Spectre in 2015. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer subsidiary United Artists Releasing holds the rights for North America, as well as worldwide digital and television rights; Universal also holds the worldwide rights for physical home media. Danny Boyle was originally attached to direct and co-write the screenplay with John Hodge. Both left due to creative differences in August 2018, and Fukunaga was announced as Boyle’s replacement a month later. Most of the cast had signed on by April 2019. Principal photography was from April to October 2019 under the working title Bond 25. The final title was announced in August 2019.
No Time to Die had its world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 28 September 2021, and was released in cinemas on 30 September 2021 in the United Kingdom and on 8 October 2021 in the United States, after being delayed by Boyle’s departure and later by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received generally positive reviews, with many citing it as a fitting conclusion to Craig’s time as Bond, and has grossed $313 million worldwide, making it the ninth highest-grossing film of 2021.
NO TIME TO DIE (2021) | Royal World Premiere (UK)
Plot
A young Madeleine Swann witnesses the murder of her mother by Lyutsifer Safin in a failed attempt to murder her father Mr. White. Madeleine shoots Safin as he searches for her but he survives. Madeleine flees onto a nearby frozen lake and falls through the ice, but Safin rescues her.
After the capture of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Madeleine is in Matera with James Bond. Spectre assassins ambush Bond when he visits Vesper Lynd‘s tomb. Though Bond and Madeleine overcome the assassins, Bond believes that Madeleine has betrayed him despite her pleas and leaves her.
Five years later, MI6 scientist Valdo Obruchev is kidnapped from an MI6 laboratory. Approved by M, Obruchev has developed “Project Heracles”, a bioweapon containing nanobots that infect like a virus upon touch and are coded to an individual’s specific DNA, rendering it lethal to the target but harmless to others. Bond has retired to Jamaica, where he is contacted by CIA agent Felix Leiter with his colleague Logan Ash. Leiter asks for help in tracking down Obruchev but Bond declines. The same evening, Bond encounters an MI6 agent named Nomi who has succeeded him as the new 007. Being informed by Nomi about “Project Heracles”, Bond subsequently agrees to help Leiter.
Bond goes to Cuba and meets a CIA agent named Paloma, who is allied with Leiter. Bond and Paloma infiltrate a Spectre meeting for Blofeld’s birthday to retrieve Obruchev. Blofeld, who is using a disembodied “bionic eye” to lead the meeting while still being imprisoned in Belmarsh, orders his members to kill Bond with a “nanobot mist”. Instead, the mist kills all Spectre members, as Obruchev had reprogrammed the nanobots to infect them on Safin’s orders. Bond captures Obruchev before meeting Leiter and Ash. However, Ash is revealed to be a double agent working for Safin as he kills Leiter and escapes with Obruchev.
Moneypenny and Q arrange a meeting between Bond and Blofeld in prison to try to locate Obruchev. However Safin visits and coerces Madeleine to infect herself with a nanobot dose to kill Blofeld, as she has been in contact with him since his imprisonment. When Bond encounters Madeleine at Blofeld’s prison cell, he touches her and unknowingly infects himself before she leaves. Blofeld confesses to Bond that he staged the ambush at Vesper’s tomb to appear as if Madeline had betrayed him. Bond reacts by attacking Blofeld, unintentionally causing the nanobots to infect and kill him.
Bond tracks Madeleine down to her childhood home in Norway and learns she has a five-year-old daughter named Mathilde, whom Madeleine claims is not his. Madeleine tells Bond that when Safin was a boy his parents were murdered by her father on Blofeld’s orders. Safin has since sought revenge. Having killed Blofeld and destroyed Spectre, Safin continues his rampage with Ash and their entourage in pursuit of Bond, Madeleine and Mathilde. Though Bond kills off Ash and his thugs, Safin captures Madeleine and Mathilde.
Q enables Bond and Nomi to infiltrate Safin’s headquarters located in a Second World War base on an island between Japan and Russia. Inside they discover that the base has been converted into a nanobot factory, where Obruchev is mass-producing the technology, so Safin can unleash it globally to kill millions of people and establish a new world order. Bond kills many of Safin’s men while Nomi kills Obruchev by pushing him into a nanobot vat. After rescuing Madeleine and Mathilde, Bond has them escape with Nomi from the island while he stays behind to open the island’s silo doors, which would enable a missile strike from HMS Dragon to destroy the factory.
Bond kills Safin’s remaining men before confronting Safin himself; they fight and Safin shoots Bond before infecting him with a vial containing nanobots programmed to kill Madeleine and Mathilde. Despite his injuries, Bond kills Safin and opens the silos. Speaking by radio with Madeleine, Bond tells her he loves her and encourages her to move on without him, and she confirms that Mathilde is his daughter as Bond says goodbye. Bond accepts his fate as the missiles hit the island, destroying the nanobot factory and killing him.
At MI6, M, Moneypenny, Q, Tanner, and Nomi drink in Bond’s honour. Madeleine takes Mathilde to Matera and begins to tell her a story about a man named “Bond, James Bond.”
NO TIME TO DIE Trailer – In Cinemas October 2021.
Cast
Daniel Craig as James Bond: A former MI6 agent who was known as 007 during his service and has been retired for five years at the start of the film. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga compared Bond to a “wounded animal” and described his state of mind as “struggling to deal with his role as a ’00’ [agent]. The world’s changed. The rules of engagement aren’t what they used to be. The rules of espionage are darker in this era of asymmetric warfare”. Craig stated that the film is “about relationships and family”.
Rami Malek as Lyutsifer Safin: A terrorist leader on a revenge mission against Spectre who later becomes Bond’s new adversary by coming to conflict with him and Swann. Producer Barbara Broccoli described the character as “the one that really gets under Bond’s skin. He’s a nasty piece of work.” Malek described the character as someone who considers “himself as a hero almost in the same way that Bond is a hero”. Fukunaga described Safin as “more dangerous than anyone [Bond has] ever encountered” and a “hyper-intelligent and worthy adversary”.
Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann: A psychiatrist, daughter of Mr. White, and Bond’s love interest who assisted him in his mission in the film Spectre. Fukunaga underscored Swann’s importance to the film, as her presence allowed him to explore Bond’s unresolved trauma stemming from the death of Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. After seeing the film, Seydoux said, “There’s a lot of emotion in this Bond. It’s very moving. I bet you’re going to cry. When I watched it, I cried, which is weird because I am in it”.
https://youtu.be/xW5ZdYxSlzg
Lashana Lynch as Nomi: A new “00” agent who entered active service some time after Bond’s retirement and was assigned the 007 number. Lynch has said that she hopes her character brings a new layer of relatability to the world of espionage: “When you’re dealing with a franchise that has been slick for so many years, I wanted to throw a human spin on it—to deal with anxiety and be someone who’s figuring it out, completely on her toes”.
Ben Whishaw as Q: MI6’s Quartermaster who outfits “00” agents with equipment for use in the field. In the film, Q is revealed to be gay when Moneypenny and Bond interrupt him planning a dinner date. Whishaw considers his version of Q to have ended saying, “I think I’m done now. I’ve done the three that I was … contracted to do. So I think that might be it for me”.
Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny: M’s secretary and Bond’s ally. Harris says since Spectre, “Moneypenny has grown up somewhat. I think she still has her soft spot for Bond though, that’s never going to go. But she’s an independent woman with her own life”.
Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter: Bond’s friend and a CIA field officer. Wright was asked what can be expected from Felix in the film, to which he replied, “Well, I think it’s known that Felix pulls James back into the game and away we go from there”. While Wright was surprised he was not asked to return in Skyfall and Spectre, he felt Felix’s return in No Time to Die “gives more weight” due to his prior absence. Wright said that the film establishes the brotherhood of Bond and Felix, which he described as the “core” of their relationship.
Christoph Waltz as Ernst Stavro Blofeld: Bond’s arch-enemy and foster brother. He is the founder and head of the criminal syndicate Spectre and is now in MI6 custody. Fukunaga explained why Blofeld returns and teased the character’s “new role” in the film by saying, “Blofeld is an iconic character in all the Bond films. He’s in prison, but he certainly can’t be done yet, right? So what could he be doing from in there and what nefarious, sadistic things does he have planned for James Bond and the rest of the world?”.
Billy Magnussen as Logan Ash: A CIA agent assigned by Leiter to support Bond in finding Obruchev.
Ana de Armas as Paloma: A CIA agent assisting Bond. De Armas described her character as “irresponsible” and “bubbly” and playing a key role in Bond’s mission.
David Dencik as Valdo Obruchev: A scientist whose disappearance Bond investigates.
In February 2018, Danny Boyle was established as a frontrunner for the directing position. Boyle’s original pitch to Broccoli and Wilson saw John Hodge writing a screenplay based on Boyle’s idea with Purvis and Wade’s version scrapped. Hodge’s draft was greenlit, and Boyle was confirmed to direct with a production start date of December 2018. However, Boyle and Hodge left in August 2018 due to creative differences. During Boyle’s time as director, a leaked casting sheet described the male leading role as a “cold and charismatic Russian” and the female leading role as a “witty and skillful survivor”. Production also sought male supporting roles of Māori descent with “advanced combat skills”. It was reported at the time that Boyle’s exit was due to the casting of Tomasz Kot as the lead villain; however, Boyle later confirmed the dispute was over the script.
EXCLUSIVE Interview: Cary Fukunaga, The First American James Bond Director | No Time To Die
Following Boyle’s departure, the release date became contingent on whether the studio could find a replacement within sixty days. Cary Joji Fukunaga was announced as the new director in September 2018. Fukunaga became the first American to direct an Eon ProductionsBond film and the first director to receive a writing credit for any version. Fukunaga had been considered for Spectre before Mendes was hired, and afterwards had expressed an interest to Broccoli and Wilson about directing a future Bond film. Linus Sandgren was hired as cinematographer in December 2018.
The Making of NO TIME TO DIE 🎬
Purvis and Wade were brought back to start working on a new script with Fukunaga in September 2018. Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace screenwriter Paul Haggis turned in an uncredited rewrite in November 2018, with Scott Z. Burns doing the same in February 2019. At Daniel Craig‘s request, Phoebe Waller-Bridge provided a script polish in April 2019. Waller-Bridge was hired to revise dialogue, work on character development and add humour to the script. Waller-Bridge is the second female screenwriter credited with writing a Bond film after Johanna Harwood co-wrote Dr. No and From Russia with Love. Barbara Broccoli was questioned about the Me Too movement at the Bond 25 launch event, where she stated that Bond’s attitude towards women would move with the times and the films should reflect that. In a separate interview, Waller-Bridge argued that Bond was still relevant and that “he needs to be true to this character”, instead suggesting that it was the films which had to grow and evolve, emphasising “the important thing is that the film treats the women properly”.
Some concepts changed during development with Fukunaga. An early unrealised idea he considered was to have seen the film take place “inside Bond’s head”, while being tortured by Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Spectre, up until the end of act two of a three-act structure. Originally, Safin, the villain, and his henchman would wear masks based on Siberian bear-hunting armour. The henchman character was written out before filming, and Fukunaga requested changes to Safin’s costume. A new mask based on Noh, a Japanese style of theatre, was introduced as Fukunaga felt that the original mask was dominating the costume.
The film entered production under the working title of Bond 25. The title No Time to Die was announced on 20 August 2019. Broccoli said, “We were struggling to find a title. We wanted a title that wouldn’t give away anything but would be understandable, and after you see the movie, have a deeper resonance, because that’s often what Fleming titles are all about”.
Behind the Scenes of "James Bond 007 – No Time To Die": Fight and motorcycle action
Casting
After Spectre, there was speculation that it would be Daniel Craig‘s final Bond film. Immediately after the film’s release, Craig had complained about the rigours of performing the part, saying he would rather “slash [his] wrists” than play Bond again. In May 2016, it was reported that Craig had received a $100 million offer from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to do two more Bond films, but turned it down. In October 2016, Craig denied having made a decision but praised his time in the role, describing it as “the best job in the world doing Bond”. He further denied that $150 million was offered to him for the next two instalments. In August 2017, Craig said that the next film would mark his final appearance as Bond on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He reiterated his position in November 2019 and again in March 2020, following reports that he was in fact considering a reprise of the role one last time. Craig later acknowledged that the physicality of the part had deterred him from returning to the role, having sustained injuries while filming earlier Bond films. With Craig’s departure, Broccoli said that No Time to Die would conclude several narratives from Craig’s previous Bond films and “come to an emotionally satisfying conclusion”.
NO TIME TO DIE | Jeffrey Wright "Felix Leiter" On-set Interview
Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen, and Rami Malek were announced as cast members in a live stream, at Ian Fleming‘s Goldeneye estate in Jamaica. The event was on 25 April 2019 and marked the official start of production. Malek was further announced as playing Safin, the film’s villain. Malek revealed in an interview that Safin would not be connected to any religion or ideology.
After the release of Spectre it was reported that Christoph Waltz had signed on to return as Ernst Stavro Blofeld for further Bond films, on the condition that Craig returned as Bond. Despite Craig’s definite casting as Bond, Waltz announced in October 2017 that he would not return as Blofeld, but did not give a reason for his departure. Waltz’s casting as Blofeld in No Time to Die was not announced at the press launch but was revealed in the trailer in December 2019.
'No Time To Die' Cast Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux & Lashana Lynch | Entertainment Weekly
Filming
Production was scheduled to begin on 3 December 2018 at Pinewood Studios, but filming was delayed until April 2019 after the departure of Danny Boyle as director. The film is the first in the series to have sequences shot with 65mm IMAX film cameras. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga and cinematographer Linus Sandgren pushed for using film over digital to enhance the look of the film. No Time to Die features the Aston Martin Valhalla.
Every Aston Martin in James Bond Explained | WIRED
Filming locations included Italy, Jamaica, Norway, the Faroe Islands and London, in addition to Pinewood Studios. In March 2019, production commenced in Nittedal, Norway, with the second unit capturing scenes at a frozen lake. On 28 April 2019, principal photography officially began in Jamaica, including Port Antonio. In May 2019, Daniel Craig sustained an ankle injury whilst filming in Jamaica and subsequently underwent minor surgery.
No Time To Die – Filming Locations 🎞
In June 2019, production was further interrupted when a controlled explosion damaged the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios and left a crew member with minor injuries. Also in June 2019, production went back to Norway to shoot a driving sequence along the Atlantic Ocean Road featuring an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Aston Martin also confirmed that the DB5, DBS Superleggera, and Valhalla models would feature in the film.
Behind the Scenes of "James Bond 007 – No Time To Die": Bond's hotel arrival in Matera
James Bond – No Time To Die: Bike jump onto square, Matera, Italy (new version)
In late August 2019, the second unit moved to southern Italy where they began to shoot a chase sequence involving an Aston Martin DB5 through the streets of Matera. In early September 2019, the main production unit, Craig and Léa Seydoux arrived to film scenes inside several production-built sets, as well as further sequences in Maratea and Gravina in Puglia. Scenes were shot in the town of Sapri in southern Italy throughout September. Locations included the town’s “midnight canal” and railway station. The city is referred to as “Civita Lucana” in the film. In late September 2019, scenes were filmed in the Faroe Islands.
Behind the Scenes of "James Bond 007 – No Time To Die": Car chase in Sassi di Matera
007 James Bond: From filming on the C 17 aircraft to the HMS Dragon, the RoyalNavy, Army AirForce
Ben Whishaw praised Fukunaga’s directing work: “It was great and you know what was amazing is that he treated it, or was able to approach it, it felt to me almost as if it were an independent film. You know? And it was quite improvisational… we didn’t do many takes”. He added, “It was very light. Sometimes quite chaotic, but I’m very excited to see how he’s constructed the final film”.
https://youtu.be/B4T4E-sSwa0
Principal photography wrapped on 25 October 2019 at Pinewood Studios with the filming of a chase sequence set in Havana, Cuba. Production had intended to shoot the sequence earlier, but was forced to reschedule when Craig injured his ankle in Jamaica. Further pick-up shots at Pinewood were confirmed by Fukunaga on 20 December 2019.
In July 2019, Dan Romer was announced as composer for the film’s score, having previously worked with Cary Joji Fukunaga on Beasts of No Nation and Maniac. Romer left the film due to creative differences in November 2019. Hans Zimmer replaced Romer by January 2020. It is the first time in the Bond series history that a composer has been replaced during post-production, and the second major personnel change for the film after Danny Boyle left as director. Steve Mazzaro produced the score, while Johnny Marr played guitar. The No Time to Die score album was set to be released through Decca Records in March 2020 but was delayed to 1 October 2021 to coincide with the release of the film.
In January 2020, Billie Eilish was announced as the performer of the film’s theme song, with her brother, Finneas O’Connell, serving as co-writer as well as the track’s producer. The song, which has the same title, was released on 13 February 2020. At the age of 18, Eilish is the youngest artist to record a James Bond theme song. Despite the film’s delay, the song was nominated for and won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, on 14 March 2021, six months before the film’s release date, because the song itself was released during the 2019–20 eligibility period, in anticipation of the film’s original April 2020 release date.
Billie Eilish on working with Hans Zimmer on Bond theme song and her rise to stardom l Nightline
In October 2020, it was announced that a song “Dans la ville endormie” by French singer Dalida would be featured, for a scene situated in France. It was followed with a 10″ vinyl single issue, and an official clip made in the style of James Bond credits.
No Time to Die was scheduled for release in November 2019, but was postponed to February 2020 and then to April 2020 after Danny Boyle‘s departure. The premiere in China and a countrywide publicity tour, planned for April 2020, were cancelled due to the early outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. By March 2020, the global spread of the virus and the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization prompted a joint open letter from two James Bondfan sites addressed to the producers. The letter asked that the release be delayed to minimise the risk of spreading the disease and to ensure the film’s commercial success.
On 4 March 2020, MGM and Eon Productions announced that after “thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace” they had postponed the release until 12 November 2020 in the United Kingdom and 25 November 2020 in the United States. No Time to Die was the first major film affected by the pandemic. According to Deadline Hollywood, MGM and Universal needed to assure a strong performance across all international markets. It was hoped that the rescheduling to November would ensure all cinemas, particularly those in China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, and France that were closed due to the pandemic, would be open and operational.
In the early stages of the pandemic, an estimated 70,000 cinemas in China closed, and countries including Australia and the United Kingdom closed cinemas to minimise the spread of the virus. Variety said the studio had already spent $66 million on promoting the film, while The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the delay cost MGM $30–50 million in wasted marketing costs, estimating that the global box office losses could have exceeded $300 million had the film stayed in its April 2020 slot. In October 2020, No Time to Die was delayed again to 2 April 2021. The decision to delay the release was made when it became apparent that theatrical markets, especially in the United States, would not see full demand. After the delay was announced, the British chain Cineworld, the world’s second-largest cinema chain, closed its cinemas indefinitely. Chief executive Mooky Greidinger said the delay of No Time to Die was the “last straw” for Cineworld following a string of other film delays and cancellations.
In January 2021, the film was rescheduled again, to 8 October 2021. In February 2021, an earlier release date of 30 September 2021 was announced for the United Kingdom. In August 2021, it was announced that the world premiere would be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 28 September 2021; whilst the release date in Australia was delayed from 30 September to 11 November 2021, in response to their national lockdowns. It was also screened at the Zurich Film Festival on the same day as the world premiere and the first Bond film to be in the official selection at a festival.
Reception
Box office
As of 10 October 2021, No Time to Die has grossed $56 million in the United States and Canada, and $257.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $313.3 million. Due to its combined production and promotional costs of at least $350 million, the film needs to gross $750–800 million worldwide in order to break-even.
No Time to Die‘s opening weekend set a $119.1 million box office from 54 countries, including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Spain, besting its $90 million projections. It was the first film since the COVID-19 pandemic that crossed $100 million in an overseas debut without the China market.
In the United States and Canada, No Time to Die was projected to gross $65–85 million in its opening weekend. The film made $23.3 million on its first day, including $6.3 million from Thursday night previews, the best total of the franchise. It went on to debut to $56 million, topping the box office and marking the fourth-best opening weekend of the franchise. Deadline Hollywood attributed the slight underperformance to the film’s 163-minute runtime both limiting the number of showtimes, while noting just 12% of the weekend’s business came from showtimes after 9 PM (compared to the 90-minute Venom: Let There Be Carnage having 20% of its opening gross come from later screenings). TheWrap said that the opening was good news for theatres, even if the studio did not break-even during the film’s theatrical run, and that it was an encouraging sign for upcoming adult-oriented pictures.
Critical response
According to review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of 297 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “It isn’t the sleekest or most daring 007 adventure, but No Time to Die concludes Daniel Craig’s franchise tenure in satisfying style.” Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 69 out of 100 based on 63 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “A–” on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an 83% positive score, with 63% saying they would definitely recommend it.
Daniel Craig Reflects on Final Moments as James Bond in ‘No Time To Die’ | Rotten Tomatoes
The film has received praise and five-star reviews from many film critics. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it “an epic barnstormer” delivered “with terrific panache” and with “pathos, action, drama, camp comedy, heartbreak, macabre horror, and outrageously silly old-fashioned action”. Zach Marsh of FilmSpeak called it one of the greatest films in the series, with particular acclaim for Fukunaga’s direction of the action sequences; he said Craig’s performance was the best of any Bond performance and deserving of an Academy Award nomination, echoing similar sentiments from critics after the premiere of Casino Royale. Robbie Collin of The Telegraph described it as “extravagantly satisfying”, “often very funny” with gadgets “both improbable and outrageous”, and that it has been filmed with “gorgeous” cinematography, starting with “a sensationally thrilling and sinister prologue” and ending with a “moving conclusion”. Kevin Maher of The Times said: “It’s better than good. It’s magnificent.”
Linda Marric of The Jewish Chronicle wrote: “This is truly everything we expected from Craig’s last ever Bond, leaving the actor a chance to pursue other projects away from the burden of having to keep on reprising the same role again and again.” Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail wrote that the film “makes sure that my eyes are following each and every oh-whoa stunt. As well as guaranteeing that I actually care about whether (or, really, how) Bond gets out of this one.” Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the film “takes its place among the best of the entire series”, and concluded: “Craig leaves the series in a mammoth, 163-minute extravaganza that audiences will be enjoying for decades. It’s a lovely thing to see.” K. Austin Collins of Rolling Stone described the film as being “just fine: sometimes intriguing, sometimes not, sometimes boring, sometimes not”, adding: “It’s a bit more successful if we think of it instead as a tribute to the Craig era, and to the star himself.”
FULL Graham Norton Show 24/9/2021 Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Rami Malek, Ed Sheeran
Some reviewers, though, found fault with the film. John Nugent of Empire criticised its length (2 hours and 43 minutes), asserting that the plotting and exposition in the middle third “doesn’t justify that heaving runtime”. Nevertheless, he thought the film “a fitting end to the Craig era”. Kyle Smith of National Review also criticised the film’s length, and described it as “the least fun and most somber excursion in the entire Bond series”. Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent found it uneventful and disappointing: its core premise of a biological weapon of mass destruction was described as “generic spy nonsense”, while she felt that Rami Malek “gives almost nothing to the role beyond his accent and stereotyped disfigurement makeup”. David Sexton of New Statesman wrote that the film “shows signs of emerging from an over-deliberated, market-sensitised production process”, adding: “it delivers the set-pieces without ever trying to connect them with any urgency, almost like an anthology or re-mix.” Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film a score of 2/4 stars, writing: “For something that once felt like it so deftly balanced the old of a timeless character with a new, richer style, perhaps the biggest knock against [the film] is that there’s nothing here that hasn’t been done better in one of the other Craig movies.”
When James Bond (Daniel Craig) says that line to Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) nine minutes into “No Time to Die,” it may not mean much to the average moviegoer. But to Bond fans worldwide, it’s one of the most important in the history of the franchise, and a subtle hint of possible tragedy to come.
For “We have all the time in the world” is not just the key line in the screenplay of 1969’s “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” it’s the title of the song performed in the mid-section of that movie by jazz great Louis Armstrong, derived from British composer John Barry’s love theme for the film.
Now, that memorable music from 52 years ago has been interpolated into the latest 007 epic no fewer than three times. The melody is heard in Hans Zimmer’s “No Time to Die” underscore right after Craig says the line in the pre-credits sequence. It returns in another, moving scene, near the end of the film — and the full, original Armstrong vocal then plays under the film’s end credits.
It’s startling enough to hear Craig utter that line, as it sets off alarm bells in the mind of any dyed-in-the-wool Bond buff. In “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” it is the final line of dialogue, said by 007 (George Lazenby) moments after Blofeld murders Tracy (Diana Rigg), the British agent’s new wife, as they set off on their honeymoon.
Louis Armstrong – We Have All The Time in The World – 007 At Her Majesty' Secret Service (Lyrics)
There’s yet another callback to the 1969 film in Zimmer’s score, beyond the repeated use of “We Have All the Time in the World.” Bond aficionados will recognize that Zimmer has also added a reference to Barry’s all-instrumental title theme from “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” a march signifying 007’s association with the Secret Service, during a scene in which Bond converses with M (Ralph Fiennes) about the danger posed by a lethal DNA-based weapon.
Insiders say the use of “We Have All the Time in the World” in the new film was decided early on as a callback to Bond from an earlier era. And as the film goes into the end credits, instead of a reprise of the Billie Eilish title song — which, with its theme of love and betrayal, fits nicely with the opening titles but might not be the right mood for exit music — we get the classic Armstrong vocal. Later in the credits, the Eilish song does return, but in a version with the pop star humming the tune instead of singing it.
John Barry, who died in 2011, is considered the architect of Bond’s musical style. He arranged the original “James Bond Theme,” giving it a dynamic, dangerous sound, and went on to score 11 of the films, including such Sean Connery gems as “Goldfinger” and “Thunderball,” Roger Moore’s “Octopussy” and “A View to a Kill,” Timothy Dalton’s “The Living Daylights” and, of course, Lazenby’s sole outing in “OHMSS.”
Many Bond fans consider “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (despite the absence of Connery) one of the greatest of all 007 films, and Barry’s score one of the strongest. The love theme is gorgeous, and lyricist Hal David drew his title and inspiration from the line in Ian Fleming’s original 1963 novel. Armstrong’s voice lent a world-weary quality to the song, and Barry’s final, string-drenched instrumental of the tune sent audiences out of the theater in tears.
Coincidentally (or maybe not) “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” finds Bond resigning from the service, and snippets of music from “Dr. No,” “From Russia With Love” and “Thunderball” play while he cleans out his desk, while the janitor outside his office whistles “Goldfinger.” So quoting music from “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” brings things full circle in “No Time to Die.”
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Unreleased Score) – "Resignation & Memories" – John Barry 1969
Ironically, audiences watching “No Time to Die” will actually hear more of the Armstrong song than they did in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” where it graced a montage of Bond and Tracy falling in love but was trimmed to only about two minutes.
Effectively ignored at the time of its 1969 release, “We Have All the Time in the World” never charted in either the U.S. or U.K. But its use a quarter-century later in a Guinness beer commercial sent it to No. 3 on the U.K. singles chart, and it is today considered one of the greatest songs in the history of Bond.
https://youtu.be/Nf9_bsCxILw
‘No Time To Die’ behind-the-scenes secrets revealed in new book
Tom Butler·Senior EditorWed, 27 October 2021, 9:06 pm
No Time To Die: The Making of The Film by Mark Salisbury (Titan Books)
No Time To Die, the 25th James Bond film (in cinemas now), is a huge film in every sense. Not only is the globe-trotting adventure the longest 007 film ever, it’s also packed with Easter eggs, and hidden secrets that begin to emerge with repeat viewings.
A new book No Time To Die: The Making of the Film by Mark Salisbury, out now through Titan Books, sheds new light on the film having had unprecedented access to the film behind the scenes
Sure to be on the Christmas list of every movie fan this year, here’s just some of the surprising things we learned about Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007.
Authentic ice
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
The film opens with a horror-inspired flashback sequence in Norway with a young Madeleine Swann (Coline Défaud) being pursued by Safin (Rami Malek) across a frozen lake. It was one of the first things shot for the film, with the second unit shooting on location near the village of Hakadal, half an hour from Oslo in March 2019 before the lake melted in Spring.
Close ups of the actors were captured at Pinewood Studios in the UK, where the conditions could be much more closely controlled. But in order to recreate a portion of the frozen lake on Stage U at Pinewood, 120 square metres of ice were harvested from a Norwegian lake and transported to England, as the director felt the real thing was more authentic than locally created ice.
“We look at using a plastic epoxy version, but nothing was as clear and beautiful as real ice,” Cary Joji Fukunaga explains in the book.
Safin’s look
Rami Malek in No Time To Die (Universal Pictures/MGM)
Safin’s introduction in the film was originally slightly different. Earlier drafts of the scripts had Rami Malek’s villain and a secondary henchman going to Mr White’s lakeside house, with the henchman killed by Madeleine’s hail of bullets.
However, both characters were amalgamated into one in later drafts, giving Safin his creepy resurrection moment. The Noh mask used in the film was originally the henchman’s, with Safin wearing an 18th century hunting mask. Fukanaga describes this alternative design as being ‘almost like a Hellraiser mask with spikes all over it’.
Roger Moore as 007, driving a snowmobile in a publicity still for the James Bond film ‘A View To A Kill’, 1984. (Keith Hamshere/Getty Images)
Fukanaga also admits that Safin’s all white snow gear is a nod to Roger Moore’s Bogner snowsuit that he wore in A View To A Kill — the first Bond film the director saw.
Madeleine’s DB5 moment
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
The action highlight of the film’s pre-title sequence is the heavily trailed Matera scene with the classic Aston Martin DB5 deploying a number of gadgets while being pursued by SPECTRE goons.
Original drafts of the story had Madeleine driving the car in this sequence, but was switched to Bond later in development. Ten cars in total were used to shoot the scene: two 1964 models, and eight stunt cars, two with driving pods on the roof. One gadget added to the car by Q — a changing LED licence plate — isn’t used in the final film.
Primo was spotted in a music video
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
Described by Dali Benssalah, the actor who plays him, as ‘a kind of war dog’, the one-eyed Primo is one of the most memorable baddies of the Daniel Craig era. The French-born actor came to the film in a surprising way, as he was spotted by Fukunaga’s assistant in a 2017 music video for Territory by French duo The Blaze.
Described by Dali Benssalah, the actor who plays him, as ‘a kind of war dog’, the one-eyed Primo is one of the most memorable baddies of the Daniel Craig era. The French-born actor came to the film in a surprising way, as he was spotted by Fukunaga’s assistant in a 2017 music video for Territory by French duo The Blaze.
Described by Dali Benssalah, the actor who plays him, as ‘a kind of war dog’, the one-eyed Primo is one of the most memorable baddies of the Daniel Craig era. The French-born actor came to the film in a surprising way, as he was spotted by Fukunaga’s assistant in a 2017 music video for Territory by French duo The Blaze.
The Blaze – TERRITORY (Official Video)
She showed the clip to Fukunaga who then asked the actor to audition for the part. The character’s haircut and fondness for leisurewear seems to have been lifted straight from the music video too.
The explosion that ripped the wall off Pinewood
In June 2019 an explosion at Pinewood Studios generated headlines around the world after the walls of the famous 007 stage were ripped off, and a member of the crew injured. The new book reveals it was the explosion in the secret Herecles lab that caused the blast.
Special effects supervisor Chris Courbould said it wasn’t as bad as it seemed: “It was a lot of fuss over not very much and wasn’t as dramatic as it looked, because the exterior panels are only made of foam.” It put the stage out of action but not for long.
David Dencik’s other Bond audition
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
Russian scientist Valdo Obruchev featured much more heavily in No Time To Die than had been expected, with Chernobyl star David Dencik bringing the snivelling boffin to life with obvious glee.
However, he reveals in the book that he had previously met with casting director Debbie McWilliams for a part in 2012’s Skyfall. “I didn’t get the part,” he shares, without divulging which part he was up for. Beyond Bond, the other big non-English roles in that film were Javier Bardem’s Silva and Ola Rapace’s Patrice.
A familiar bar
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
Outside of Bond’s retirement home (from production designer Mark Tildesley and set decorator Veronique Melery), the most memorable location in the Jamaica sequence is the club in which Bond meets up with Felix Leiter and Logan Ash.
Although it looks very different in the Bond film, the bar has a cinematic past, as it was also used as a location in the 1988 Tom Cruise film Cocktail.
American actor Tom Cruise playing the role of a barman in the film Cocktail. 1988 (Photo by Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
It’s actually an open-sided bar right on the beach that they built out with a new bar and a new LED dance floor for Bond. And despite appearances, they shot the night time sequence during the day “on this absolutely pristine beach with the sea lapping on the shore, ten yards away”.
The V8
James Bond uncovers an old friend in No Time To Die. (@007/Instagram)
Watch carefully during the Billie Eilish scored title scenes from longtime series regular Daniel Kleinman, and you’ll see Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 finally being ditched in the drink. After 60 years, and eight appearances, the classic Bond car appears to be going back into retirement.
No Time To Die though brings another classic out of mothballs though, with Bond retrieving an Aston Martin V8 — last seen in 1987’s The Living Daylights — from his lock up. Producer Barbara Broccoli says it was Daniel Craig’s idea to bring this particular model back to the franchise, calling it a ‘really beautiful’ motor. “It’s not even an Easter egg,” adds Craig. “It’s for the fans.”
Chris Corbould confirms that unlike Dalton’s version, Craig’s V8 has no gadgets: It’s Bond’s personal car.
The Blofeld scene
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
There’s a reductive assumption that Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge was simply brought on to punch up the female roles, or to add gags to the No Time To Die script. And while both of those things have some truth to them, the book makes it clear that she brought so much more to the film.
One particular scene that Fukunaga says she had a key part in was Bond’s interrogation with Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), which Daniel Craig is also credited with working on. “I think there were some things that Bond wanted to say to Blofeld that didn’t quite come out in the last film,” he explains. “Phoebe and I went through it and edited it, but the bones of it are what Daniel wanted.”
An alternative Cuba scene
No Time To Die hits UK cinemas on 30 September (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON)
Episode four of the Cary Fukunaga-directed True Detective S1 featured an incredible six-minute, one take, action sequence. Called a ‘oner’ in the trade, the director uses another one for Daniel Craig’s final punch up which takes place in a stairwell on Safin’s Poison Island. “There’s nothing more that puts you more into the ‘present tense’ than a oner,” he explains.
Had it purely been down to Fukunaga though, No Time To Die would have featured ‘ten oners’ — including the entire Cuba fight sequence (can you imagine?!) — but due to the logistical complexity required for them, only one made it into the final film.
Supervising stunt coordinator Olivier Schneider choreographed the bruising three-minute sequence, dubbed ‘brutal stars’ by the production, which culminates in a hand-to-hand scuffle with Primo.
No Time To Die: The Making of The Film by Mark Salisbury (Titan Books)
No Time To Die: The Making of the Film by Mark Salisbury is available from Titan Books now. No Time To Die is in cinemas now.
Daniel Craig On His Last Ever Bond Movie & Rejecting Hugh Jackman As The Next 007 | LK
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