Though the post-production stage and release of No Time To Die has felt long, the process of actually getting the made film took just as long.
Once upon a time, Danny Boyle was set to helm the latest James Bond entry but the filmmaker behind such hits as 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire left the project in 2018 due to creative differences. This began the film’s first delay until Bond producer Barbara Broccoli enlisted director Cary Fukunaga (True Detective, Beasts of No Nation).
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Fukunaga opened up about the situation and recalled how it came to be that he’d direct the 25th James Bond movie.
“I sort of forgot about [a 2016 meeting with Broccoli] and went on to my next projects. And as I was finishing Maniac, news broke that Danny Boyle was dropping out of Bond. I emailed Barbara and was like, ‘Is there a chance to talk about this?’ She responded right away, and we set up a meeting the next week. I didn’t have a pitch or anything, just asked them what they’re after and what wasn’t working… I wrote Danny, and he gave me his blessing, wished me well, and was really, really cordial.”
Though he hasn’t said much on the situation, in 2019 Boyle did break his silence about the split, saying, “I got a very nice message from [Fukunaga], and I gave him my best wishes.”
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It seems like everyone involved in this situation handled it very well, and now some three years on, we’re finally about to see Daniel Craig’s final Bond entry when No Time To Die begins its long-delayed roll out next week.
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
No Time To Die stars Daniel Craig (James Bond), Ralph Fiennes (M), Naomie Harris (Moneypenny), Rory Kinnear (Tanner), Léa Seydoux (Madeleine Swann), Ben Whishaw (Q), Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter), and Christoph Waltz (Blofeld), while new additions include Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049), Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), Billy Magnussen (Velvet Buzzsaw), Dali Benssalah (A Faithful Man) and David Dencik (Top of the Lake).
No Time to Die hits UK cinemas on September 30th and US theaters on October 8th.
