James Bond is Changing The Game, With No Time to Die
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Here are 7 reasons why No Time to Die is a game changer for the Bond universe. All the more reason to be excited for Bond 25.
1) Craig's Last Stand
No Time To Die will be Daniel Craig's final film as Bond, and it will also be the 25th installment in the series. Wow, that is a lot of vodka martinis and "Bond, James Bond"s.
Daniel Craig has been playing Bond since Casino Royale in 2005. He then went on to act in Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). In his time as the legendary super spy, Craig has proven to be one of the best in a long lineage of Bond actors.
"I've had a really good run, and I think doing this movie was the right thing to do. It was the right thing to do one more." - Daniel Craig
We're hoping this film will be the perfect way to say goodbye for fans of Daniel Craig’s Bond.
2) Rami Malek as The Sinister Safin
Oscar winner Rami Said Malek is the first Egyptian American actor to join the long line of Bond villain actors. A line of talented names that includes Christoph Waltz, Javier Bardem, Mads Mikkelsen and many more.
The Mr Robot and Bohemian Rhapsody star will be playing super villain, Safin. Details about his character are being kept tightly under wraps as his backstory is crucial to the movie's plot, although we do know, he has significant scarring and he is a very nasty piece of work.
"I think all villains, if you play them correctly, are all misunderstood. They all think they're being altruistic at heart, Safin does some malevolent things, but at his core, I think he's only doing what feels might have been part of how he was affected in his life." - Rami Malek, via EW
Rami Malek always gives every role he plays his all, but this being Craig’s swansong and Bond 25, he was given the chance to throw everything he had at the world’s greatest secret agent. “When it’s Daniel’s final film, and the 25th instalment, you’re going to throw everything at him.” He promises us a completely original and shocking performance.
3) Redefining 'Bond Girls'
For the first time in 007 history, a James Bond Movie will feature 4 female leads, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), and Ana De Armas (Knives Out).
Lea Seydoux is back as Madeline Swann, Bond's now longterm girlfriend who has a mysterious connection to the villanous Safin. Naomie Harris returns as Eve MoneyPenny, she was the first black actress to take on the role back in 2012 in Skyfall.
"In Bond 25 you have four strong, intelligent women who are responsible for driving the plot forward. They’ve never had that in Bond before." - Naomie Harris
Lashana Lynch plays Nomi, a new female 00-Agent, joining an array of black women in Bond movies such as Trina Parks, Gloria Hendry, Grace Jones, Halle Berry and Naomie. Her character is considered an equal to Bond, rather than a Bond girl.
"We’re going to give this franchise something that is special and unique and fresh. I think for me it is going to be one of the best Bond movies.” – Lashana Lynch
It looks like Bond may have a new love interest in this film, Paloma, played by Ana De Armas. A far cry from your typical damsel in distress "she’s a strong woman, for sure,” according to De Armas. Much more than your average Bond girl, in fact, get ready to throw that term out the Aston Martin's window.
“There are amazing Bond women. but you can tell there’s a shift going on. Our producers understand what this situation in the world is, and what needs to be changed. They are aware of how many people follow this franchise. They’ve taken that into account without stepping away from the core and the essence of what a James Bond movie is — that fantasy and the glamor.” - Ana De Armas
No Time To Die looks to be THE Bond film that will pull this franchise into these more modern times, and with such strong leading ladies, Bond 25 promises a new direction for the James Bond franchise as well as for Bond himself.
4) The First Female Screenwriter in 56 Years
The Emmy winning creator of Fleabag and Killing Eve writer, Phoebe Waller-Bridge was asked to work on the script of No Time to Die at the request of Daniel Craig himself. This was to show that Bond was still 'relevant', and to help make sure both the movie and the character of Bond evolves, and most importantly that the film as Phoebe said, treats “treats the women properly”.
"She's a great writer. Why shouldn't we get Phoebe onto Bond? She's a f***ing great writer. One of the best English writers around." - Daniel Craig
According to the film's stars, Ana De Armas and Rami Malek, Phoebe greatly influenced their characters in the movie.
“She had quite an impact on what I was doing," says Rami Malek, "I’d have long phone conversations with her, giving her context as to what we were essentially looking for in the scenes, and she would turn things over incredibly quickly. We know her as a very witty and funny writer, but she’s got a knack for drama and tension as well.”
Ana de Armas, whose Bond character was entirely written by co-screenwriter, Phoebe Waller-Bridge says "You could … tell that Phoebe was in there. There was that humor and spikiness so specific to her. My character feels like a real woman. I could never think that I was going to be a Bond girl, it was hard to imagine because it wasn’t reachable to get to that level of perfection, but then when I read it on the page, you could easily tell that it was Phoebe who wrote that because it was so… not perfect. I thought, ‘That can be me!"
It has been 56 years since a women has worked on a Bond script, the first being Johanna Harwood who worked on the very first Bond movie (Doctor No) in 1962.
5) Zimmer's First Shot at Bond
The name Hans Zimmer is no stranger to the world of cinema. Having worked on more than 200 films and popular film franchises, such as The Lion King, Pirates of The Caribbean, The Dark Knight, Man of Steel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Mission: Impossible II, Top Gun: Maverick and many more big titles. No Time To Die will be Zimmer's first time scoring a Bond movie. He promises us "high drama, glamour and the famous Bond suspense."
"Having the opportunity to work on a franchise as iconic as 007 has been an incredibly humbling experience. We are all so excited for the world to hear the new sounds of James Bond in No Time To Die.” - Hans Zimmer
Who better than the iconic Oscar winning composer to score the 25th Bond film.
6) Billie and Bond, In Perfect Harmony
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Billie Eilish performing No Time To Die at the Brit Awards.
Grammy winner Billie Eilish is the youngest musician to record a Bond theme song, having done so at only the age of 18. Following the footsteps of musicians such as Adele, Sam Smith, Madonna, Paul McCartney and many more. Eilish co-wrote the song with her producer and brother Finneas O'Connell. The duo admitted it has been a long standing dream of theirs to perform a Bond song.
"We've been wanting to make a Bond song for years. I remember at the beginning of last year we told our whole team that if any Bond things come up we want to be involved if we can possibly be." - Billie Eilish
Guitarist Johnny Marr who has worked with Hans Zimmer praised the song No Time To Die, calling it "brave" and "fantastic".
“When I heard the song, I thought ‘this is fantastic’. It’s very brave, being very minimalist. It’s her sound, and then the trick was to Bond-ify it. It was already a great song, but from a sound point of view, it was a case of less is more, and making it work with the film.” - Johnny Marr
The Guardian calls No Time To Die "a Bond theme befitting of the Craig era", and it really is, with hauntingly beautiful lyrics that perfectly capture Craig's entire saga as Bond. I think it is safe to say that even Bond himself liked the song, because according to Finneas, "If Daniel doesn't like it then you don't get the job".
7) 163 Minutes to Die
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, featuring a stellar cast, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Jeffrey Wright, Rory Kinnear, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, Billy Magnussen, and Christoph Waltz. Along with its familiar faces are a few new ones. With a script co written by Fukunaga, Scott Z. Burns and Waller-Bridge. With cinematography by Oscar winner Linus Sandgren (La La Land).
Premiering in April 2020, this is Craig's last run, Malek's first time as a big bad, the sound of a Zimmer score in a 007 movie and Lynch and De Armas' time to shine in a Bond movie, you do not want to miss it.
Are you excited for No Time To Die? Tell me why in the comments.
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