No Time to Die

No Time to Die is a 2021 American spy action film and the 25th and last in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. It stars Daniel Craig in his fifth outing as the fictional British MI6 agent James Bond. Craig has said it will be his final Bond film. It is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga from a screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Fukunaga, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Rory Kinnear, and Ralph Fiennes reprise their roles from previous films, with Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, Billy Magnussen, and David Dencik joining the cast as new characters.
Development began in 2016. No Time to Die will be 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 Universal Pictures holds the international rights. including worldwide digital and television rights. Universal also have rights to release the film on physical home media worldwide.
Danny Boyle was originally attached to direct and co-write the screenplay with John Hodge. Both left due to creative differences in August 2018; Fukunaga was announced as Boyle's replacement a month later. The majority 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 is scheduled for release on 30 September 2021 in the United Kingdom and 8 October 2021 in the United States, after being delayed by Boyle's departure and later by the COVID-19 pandemic.
== Plot ==
Five years after the capture of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, James Bond has left active service. He is approached by his friend and CIA officer Felix Leiter, who enlistsì his help in the search for Valdo Obruchev, a missing scientist. When it becomes apparent that Obruchev has been abducted, Bond must confront a villain whose schemes could see the death of millions.
== 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. The 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". Craig stated that the film is "about relationships and family".
* Rami Malek as Lyutsifer Safin: An adversary of Bond and Swann and a terrorist leader on a revenge mission. 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". In a video on making of the film, director Cary Fukunaga described Safin as "more dangerous than anyone [Bond has] ever encountered" and a "hyper-intelligent and worthy adversary".
* Léa Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann: A psychiatrist 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 by herself, Seydoux said, "There's a lot of emotion in this Bond. It's very moving. I bet you're going to cry, if you like to cry. [When I watched it,] I cried, which is weird, because I play in it".
* 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. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga said that Q is in as much danger as Bond's loved ones. Whishaw said that the film's creative process was "quite chaotic", and 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", saying that with No Time to Die being Craig's last appearance as Bond, he thinks he is "probably done with Q. I think I'm done now. I've done the three that I was... contracted to do".
* Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny: M's secretary and Bond's ally. On an interview to GQ magazine, Harris praised the film by stating, "There was no putting it down, no stopping for anything", adding "It's going to be fantastic" and that it has huge twists. "It's a tie-up of Skyfall and Spectre. But with massive, massive surprises that even had me like, 'Oh, wow!' So I think we're going to really shock people".
* 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".
* Christoph Waltz as Ernst Stavro Blofeld: Bond's archenemy and foster brother. He is the founder and head of the criminal syndicate SPECTRE and is now in MI6 custody. Speaking to Empire magazine, Cary Joji Fukunaga shared his thoughts about why Blofeld returns and teased his "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?".
* Ralph Fiennes as M: The head of MI6 and Bond's superior officer.
* 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.
* Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner: M's chief of staff.
* Dali Benssalah as Primo: A soldier and an adversary whom Bond first encounters in Matera.
* David Dencik as Valdo Obruchev: A scientist whose disappearance Bond investigates.
* Billy Magnussen as Logan Ash: A CIA agent who comes into conflict with Bond and "coordinates the pursuit of Bond".
== Production ==
=== Development ===
Development of No Time to Die began in early 2016. In March 2017, screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade—who have worked on every Bond film since The World Is Not Enough (1999)—were approached to write the script. Sam Mendes stated that he would not return after directing Skyfall and Spectre. Christopher Nolan ruled himself out to direct. By July 2017, Yann Demange, David Mackenzie, and Denis Villeneuve were courted to direct the film. In December 2017, Villeneuve decided against the role due to his commitments to Dune.
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.
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 Productions Bond 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.
Purvis and Wade were brought back to start working on a new script with Fukunaga in September 2018. In April 2020, Fukunaga discussed one of his initial ideas for the script, which would have seen the film take place inside Bond's head while being tortured by Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Spectre and retconning the ending of the film. Fukunaga went on to describe the final cut of the film as exploring the world of espionage "in an era of asymmetric warfare". 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 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".
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".
=== Casting ===
After Spectre, there was speculation that it would be 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 Pictures to do two more Bond films, but turned it down, suggesting that Spectre may have been his last. 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 confirmed that he would reprise the role of 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 role had deterred him from returning to the cast, having sustained injuries while filming Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre. 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".
In December 2018, Fukunaga revealed in an interview that Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, and Ralph Fiennes would all be reprising their roles in the film. Fukunaga also disclosed that Léa Seydoux would be reprising her role as Madeleine Swann, making her the first female lead to appear in successive Bond films. Rory Kinnear returns as Bill Tanner, as does Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter. Wright makes his third appearance in the series after Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace and becomes the first actor to play Felix Leiter three times.
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. This was 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.
=== Filming ===
Production was scheduled to begin on 3 December 2018 at Pinewood Studios, but filming was delayed until April 2019 after the departure of Boyle as director. The film is the first in the series to have sequences shot with 65mm IMAX film cameras. Fukunaga and Sandgren pushed for using film over digital to enhance the look of the film.
Filming locations included Italy, Jamaica, Norway and London, in addition to Pinewood Studios. In addition scenes were filmed in the Faroe Islands in late September 2019. Production commenced in Nittedal, Norway, with the second unit capturing scenes at a frozen lake. Principal photography officially began on 28 April 2019 in Port Antonio, Jamaica.[better source needed] Daniel Craig sustained an ankle injury in May whilst filming in Jamaica and subsequently underwent minor surgery. Production was further interrupted when a controlled explosion damaged the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios and left a crew member with minor injuries. Production went back to Norway in June 2019 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.
Production then went back to the United Kingdom in late June. Scenes featuring Craig, Fiennes, Harris, and Kinnear were filmed around London, including Whitehall, Senate House, London and Hammersmith. Filming took place in July in the town of Aviemore and in the surrounding Cairngorms National Park area. Some scenes were also shot at the Ardverikie House Estate and on the banks of Loch Laggan, just outside the park.
The second unit moved to southern Italy in late August, where they began to shoot a chase sequence involving an Aston Martin DB5 through the streets of Matera. The main unit, Craig and Seydoux arrived in early September 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 will be referred to as "Civita Lucana" in the film.
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 in April, but was forced to reschedule it when Craig injured his ankle while shooting on location. Further pick-up shots at Pinewood were confirmed by Fukunaga on 20 December 2019.
=== Music ===
In July 2019, Dan Romer was announced as composer for the film's score, having previously scored Fukunaga's 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 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 October 2021.[failed verification]
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.
== Release Date ==
=== Theatrical Release ===
This film has been release in October 8, 2021 with the United Kingdom has been confirmed released in September 30, 2021. 
=== Distribution Rights ===
The Sony Pictures contract to co-produce the James Bond films with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Eon Productions expired with the release of Spectre. In April 2017, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Fox (which later became 20th Century Studios), Universal Pictures, and Annapurna Pictures entered a bidding competition to win the distribution rights. MGM secured the North American, digital, and worldwide television rights to the film through its distribution arm United Artists Releasing. Universal became the international distributor and holder of the rights for physical home media (DVD and Blu-ray) worldwide through its subsidiary Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, prior to its joint venture agreement in January 2020 with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
=== Delayed Release Date and Postponements ===
No Time to Die was originally scheduled for release in November 2019, but was postponed to February 2020, and then to April 2020 after 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 Bond fan 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, which cited inside sources, MGM and Universal needed to assure a strong performance across all international markets or face losing the franchise. 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 between $30–50 million in wasted marketing costs, and estimated 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.
== Awards ==
List of No Time to Die accolades
Year	Award 	Category 	Recipient 	Result	Ref.
2021	Grammy Awards	Best Song Written for Visual Media	Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell for "No Time to Die"	Won 	
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