2020 is going to see the probable end of one of the most iconic casting choices made in the history of movie-making, perhaps – Daniel Craig’s turn as James Bond. Back in 2006, when Casino Royale, Craig’s maiden voyage as 007 was released, there had been a lot of backlash and criticism of this decision, with Craig not being an established or famous movie star, and also being blonde-haired, while James Bond was supposed to be dark-haired. He was also supposedly not fit enough, but put paid to that suggestion with his iconic scene on the beach in the movie, where he flashed his extremely toned physique. Craig’s Bond has probably been the most successful one, with a series of blockbuster movies following one after the other.
Now, with the British actor having been persuaded to return for one last fling, after having publicly stated that he would not play Bond again after the last movie, Spectre, No Time To Die has become one of the most highly-anticipated movies of 2020.
The release of the movie has been pushed to November due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but that has not dimmed fans’ enthusiasm for seeing Daniel Craig on the big screen as 007 again. The rest of the cast sees Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Christoph Waltz, Jeffrey Wright, Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes all reprise their roles from previous Bond movies, while Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas, and Oscar-winner Rami Malek have joined the cast.
The production of No Time To Die was shrouded in secrecy, and also underwent a lot of changes and trouble. Oscar-winner Danny Boyle was initially supposed to direct the movie, but left the project along with writer John Hodge due to creative differences. Cary Fukanaga was then brought in to take over, while notably, Fleabag creator and star, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, is one of the screenplay writers.
This movie is definitely going to be Craig’s last rodeo as an agent in Her Majesty’s Secret Service, with a license to kill, and therefore it is apt if fans choose to take a walk down memory lane, right back to Casino Royale and his first appearance in the role. One of the most iconic sequences in that movie is the poker game in the VIP casino between Bond and the villain, Le Chiffre, played superbly by Mads Mikkelsen, and the entire movie kept the audience on tenterhooks, with some twists and turns which were not at all expected. Casino Royale also set the tone and background for Craig’s era as Bond, with his tragically-short relationship with Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd forming the backdrop for the following movie, Quantum of Solace, and also being used to describe his general behavior towards his love interests. It is therefore even more significant, that his current love interest, Dr. Madeleine Swann, played by Seydoux, could again be at the heart of his downfall, thus forming a proper bookend to his career as James Bond.
It remains to be seen how the movie will actually turn out, but if the trailers are any indication, fans are in for yet another ride, with gunfights, suspense, mystery villains and explosions galore. In short, the usual formula for a successful Bond movie, underpinned by his journey since Casino Royale. A special note for Rami Malek – he only appears for a couple of seconds in the trailer, but his voice and appearance are chilling, and going by his supreme talent and his work in Bohemian Rhapsody as well as the TV show Mr. Robot, we can be sure that he will write himself into the list of iconic Bond villains.
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