All The No Time To Die Rumors And Spoilers Leaked So Far
The world of superspy MI6 agent James Bond has been a part of pop culture since 1953, when author Ian Fleming released Casino Royale. The character truly made the jump to the mainstream when the books started to get film adaptations, beginning with Dr. No in 1963. Over 50 years later, it's nearly time for Bond 25 to see release. As it is a major milestone for the franchise — it's the 25th canonically recognized film, as the 1967 comedy Casino Royale and the Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again aren't technically part of the accepted franchise — the studio and creators have been even tighter-lipped than normal with this entry.
If you're looking for information on Bond 25, which we now know will be titled No Time to Die, you've come to the right place. Leading up to the film's release, this article will be updated with all the rumors, spoilers, and leaks. Grab your martini (shaken, not stirred) and load your Walther PPK; here's everything we know so far about the upcoming Bond film.
The basic Bond ingredients
Details about Bond 25 remained scarce for a long time, but we did start with a very minimal plot description. Here's how IMDb sums it up: "Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology."
It's generic, but it does give us some hints about where the plot could be headed — with this being Daniel Craig's final run as James Bond (more on that in a bit), it makes sense that the "one last job before I call it quits" trope seems to be rearing its head.
Taking the helm is Cary Joji Fukunaga, having taken over as director after Danny Boyle left the film due to "creative differences." Fukunaga is best known for directing Netflix's Maniac and the first season of True Detective, not to mention departing from It after working on the Stephen King adaptation for three years. Finally, we know the writing team: besides Fukunaga, it includes Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
One last adventure for Craig's Bond
Like a number of the other actors who've played Bond, Daniel Craig has a complicated relationship with the character. Much of Craig's work as Bond has been lauded as some of the best the franchise has ever seen, and the character has made him an international superstar and a very rich man. However, the grueling pace and workload of an international film franchise has taken a toll on him, both mentally and physically. In November of 2019, the actor put years of speculation to rest by confirming that No Time to Die would be his final outing as 007.
Craig is no longer a young man, and he's suffered injuries from working on the Bond films that have required surgery. It also seems that Craig doesn't necessarily enjoy playing the character — in an interview with Time Out, he claimed "I'd rather slash my wrists" than play Bond again after Spectre, and "If I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money." When asked who he'd like to see replace him, he shrugged, "All I care about is that if I stop doing these things we've left it in a good place and people pick it up and make it better. Make it better, that's all."
He certainly wasn't lying about one element: Craig is reportedly bringing in a whopping $25 million for his role in Bond 25. Hopefully that much cash coaxes out his A-game.
What's the official title of Bond 25?
For a while, fans thought they'd sussed out the title of the film that we only know as Bond 25. The film's working title — a placeholder used during production to help workers discuss something being filmed — was Shatterhand, and many fans thought this would eventually be the film's actual title as well. Shatterhand is an alias used by Bond's arch-nemesis Ernst Blofeld in Ian Fleming's books, so it seemed a small logical leap that Craig's last outing as Bond would deal with this old villain once again.
However, the film's producer, Barbara Broccoli, has put that rumor to rest. According to Bond fansite MI6-HQ, a Bond fan approached Broccoli to autograph a fan-created poster for Shatterhand; Broccoli gladly autographed the piece, adding the words "It's Not" with an arrow pointing to the speculative title.
And she wasn't lying! The official 007 Twitter account officially announced Bond 25's title on August 20th, 2019 — Bond's next adventure will be called No Time to Die. The account made the announcement by also releasing this spiffy little logo animation.
No Time to Die has been delayed at the last minute
You're going to have to wait just a bit longer to see Daniel Craig back in action as James Bond. The film was scheduled for release on April 4, but one month out, the studios did some serious evaluation and decided to postpone No Time to Die's release until November instead. The reason? Coronavirus.
Deadline seems to be the original site that broke the news on March 4, reporting the following statement from MGM, Universal, and the film's producers: "After careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of No Time to Die will be postponed until November 2020. The film will be released in the U.K. on November 12, 2020 with worldwide release dates to follow, including the U.S. launch on November 25, 2020."
The delay comes from worries that the international box office of the film would suffer due to fears of spreading COVID-19, the Coronavirus. The film had already suffered a variety of setbacks, including onset injuries and a switch in the director's chair. Now, you can now look for the film just before Thanksgiving in the United States.
From Bohemian to Bond: Rami Malek as Bond 25's villain
There are a lot of elements that all contribute to making an epic Bond film, but one of the most important is a memorable villain. Great bad guys can elevate an already good Bond film to legendary status, but a solid villain can make even a not-as-good Bond film entertaining. Christopher Lee's turn as Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun is about one of the only reasons to watch that film, for example. No Time to Die is swinging big with its villain, enlisting the services of Rami Malek, fresh off his Oscar win for Bohemian Rhapsody.
Malek released this video, claiming he will make sure "Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it" in the upcoming film. Given the working title of Shatterhand and the uncertain fate of Christoph Waltz's Blofeld at the end of Spectre, there has been some speculation that Malek would take a turn as Blofeld himself, possibly as a clone or through some sort of surgically altered version. But with Waltz himself returning for No Time to Die, that rumor seems pretty roundly quashed.
Out of retirement: The story of No Time to Die
No Time to Die seems poised to offer callbacks to many Bond films of the past, and we know that one of the most iconic locations in his vast filmography will be seen at the beginning of the story. When the film was announced, executive producer Barbara Broccoli said it'll begin with Bond enjoying retirement in Jamaica, which the team considers Bond's "spiritual home."
Dr. No, 007's very first cinematic adventure, featured Jamaica prominently, so it seems fitting that the film will see Bond return to the idyllic setting to try to live out a normal life in retirement. However, we know that his old friend from the CIA, Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), will come calling to rope Bond back into the game to deal with a new threat.
Poor Bond — he just wanted to settle down with Dr. Swann. Maybe that's why Craig's so ready to be done with the role: he never gets to have nice things.
A surprising addition to the Bond writing staff
The Bond 25 screenplay has several credited writers, but only one was specially requested by star Daniel Craig. He specifically asked director Cary Joji Fukunaga and producer Barbara Broccoli to bring on the Emmy-winning creator and star of Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and he had a few very specific reasons for doing it. She will be only the second woman credited as a writer on a Bond film.
The Daily Mail writes that Waller-Bridge, who will be only the second woman credited as a writer on a Bond film, was added to the writing staff because the plot was extremely complicated — it deals with genetic engineering and genetic warfare. Waller-Bridge has experience working with intricate, complex plots; besides Fleabag, she's also written for shows like Broadchurch and Killing Eve. A source told The Daily Mail that Waller-Bridge took a complex plot and "somehow made sense of it," adding, "There aren't many people in the world bright enough to bring some humor to the topic of genetics and the Human Genome Project."
Waller-Bridge also told Deadline that she was excited to write for the film's female characters and help make them more three-dimensional, saying, "I always think the test for me as an actor, whenever I'm writing anything, is: would I want to play that role?"
Grace Jones quit Bond 25 after feeling insulted by the size of her cameo
James Bond films typically don't bring back returners for simple cameo roles, so it seemed special that Grace Jones was reported to be returning to the series. Jones played the villainous May Day in 1985's A View to a Kill, but her character died in that film. It was a welcome surprise to hear that Bond 25 would honor Jones a bit by giving her an appearance. Unfortunately, Jones was not on the same page as the seemingly cursed production.
According to The Sun, bosses were extremely frustrated after securing accommodations for Jones and having her turn down the part after looking at it a bit closer. Jones reportedly thought it was a bigger role, and took the small role she was actually offered as a bit of a slight. It now appears Jones won't be appearing in No Time to Die after all. It will be interesting to see if the film has any more homages to past films up its sleeve. It will be even more interesting to see if any of them actually make it into the film.
There's a new 007 in Bond 25: Lashana Lynch
Although major plot points of No Time to Die are still under pretty tight wraps, we do know that the new film begins with Bond (Daniel Craig) trying to get away from the spy game in Jamaica. He has retired from MI6 and is trying to lead a normal life when events conspire against his plan. The Daily Mail writes that MI6 has moved on without Bond, and have given away the 007 codename to another spy, played by Lashana Lynch.
Lynch is probably best known for portraying Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel. A source close to the film tells The Daily Mail, "There is a pivotal scene at the start of the film where M says 'Come in 007,' and in walks Lashana who is black, beautiful and a woman... It's a popcorn-dropping moment. Bond is still Bond but he's been replaced as 007 by this stunning woman." The source adds that Bond, of course, tries to seduce the new 007, but fails.
The introduction of this new 007 is being attributed to writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), who Daniel Craig specifically requested to write for Bond 25.
007's Aston Martin DB5 is making a return
No Time To Die is the 25th official James Bond film, so the filmmakers are planning all sorts of homages to past Bond moments. Some recent spy footage captured a welcome returner to the series in the streets of Matera, Italy: the silver Aston Martin DB5 that originally appeared in Goldfinger. The footage captured some impressive stunt work with the beautiful vehicle, as well as the stunt car outfitted with all manner of camera equipment.
The footage was originally posted on the 007 Facebook fanpage James Bond Television. It shows the silver car turning some tight corners throughout the picturesque city, evading the pursuing cars and motorcycles. Gunshots ring out and pedestrians jump out of the way as the chase moves through the winding streets. One particularly impressive bit shows the car pulling down a side street and spinning a tight 360 as a pursuing car blows past.
James Bond has always been known for driving pretty cars in a pretty manner. It's good to see the filmmakers bringing back the traditions with a fan favorite car.
The filmmakers are taking drastic action to keep No Time to Die's ending secret
No Time to Die is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated James Bond films of all time. In addition to being such a milestone for the franchise, it is also considered likely to be Daniel Craig's last outing as the British superspy. With all the hype surrounding the film, director Cary Fukunaga is taking some extreme measures to keep the film's ending from leaking.
The Daily Mirror writes that Fukunaga actually shot three different endings for No Time to Die, and only he and the film's producers know which will be used in the final cut. Reportedly, not even Daniel Craig knows which ending will be seen when the movie hits theaters.
It seems likely that at least one of the endings filmed sees Craig's 007 dying, as a rumor persists that Bond might finally meet his maker in the franchise's 25th entry. We'll have to wait until the film hits theaters see how Fukunaga chose to end the story. Hopefully we'll learn more about the alternatives that didn't make the cut as well.
The first No Time to Die trailer arrives
"We all have our secrets. We just didn't get to yours yet."
007 fans rejoice — the first No Time to Die trailer has arrived and it looks pretty darn impressive. You can check out the trailer right here — the film's official Twitter page released it on December 4.
The trailer features everything you'd want from a James Bond film: impressive physical and driving stunts, some hints at big set pieces, and flashes of familiar and anticipated characters. We get to see Daniel Craig's James Bond getting roped back into the spy world after finally trying to settle down. We see the return of actors like Ralph Fiennes, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Ben Whishaw, and even Christoph Waltz's Blofeld. And we get glimpses at a few big, new characters like Lashana Lynch's Nomi (who, according to advance rumors, has taken up the 007 mantle since Bond's retirement) and Rami Malek's Safin.
Considering this is the series' 25th film — and how many unlucky circumstances were reported while it was filming — it's good to see that Bond and his team still look like they've got some magic left in them.
Hans Zimmer took over at the last minute to compose the score for No Time to Die
There has been no shortage of behind-the-scenes drama with No Time to Die, and here's another interesting bit you can throw in: per Variety, Hans Zimmer was hired to replace the film's composer... in January 2020. That's a mere three months before the film's then-scheduled April release date.
Zimmer replaces Dan Romer, who had previously worked with No Time to Die's director Cary Fukunaga on Beasts of No Nation and Maniac. The only cited reason for Romer's leaving the film was the classic "creative differences." Other than that, no comment has surfaced from any party regarding why Romer left the project. Variety also writes that Zimmer likely will not have enough time to score the film entirely himself, and may have to bring in a past collaborator to finish in time. Possible contenders include Benjamin Wallfisch and Lorne Balfe. They also note that this is the only time in 007's history that a film's composer has been replaced during postproduction.
Zimmer has a ton of experience working on blockbuster films, so there's likely nothing to worry about with him coming on board. What will be more interesting is the real story about why the studio had to hire him in the first place.
No Time to Die's Super Bowl spot teases plenty of new footage
Some people sit down to watch the Super Bowl just so they can watch the commercials, and movie trailers are always among the game day highlights. James Bond fans caught a new No Time to Die ad while watching the Chiefs beat the 49ers in February of 2020. Despite running only 30 seconds, it shows off plenty of new footage from 007's upcoming flick. It's also really trying to make us think that Bond is going to die this time.
We get a bit of Bond banter between Craig's 007 and Lashana Lynch's character, who we know takes up the 007 mantle at some point in this film. There are some pretty cool stunts, including Daniel Craig's Bond leaping off a building and some nifty driving. A few set pieces look like they'll be pretty impressive. It also gives us a brief glimpse at Rami Malek's villain, all scarred up.
Most of the shots are too quick to apply any real context to, but Chrisoph Waltz's Blofeld delivers a key bit of dialogue: "When her secret finds its way out, it'll be the death of him." Despite all the behind-the-scenes drama on the road to No Time to Die, it looks like it could actually stick the landing of Daniel Craig's James Bond career.
Billie Eilish's No Time to Die theme is out now
The youngest ever artist to record a James Bond theme, Billie Eilish, gave us all a Valentine's Day gift: you can now listen to the No Time to Die theme. It definitely has that trademark, breathy style that Eilish is known for, but there are plenty of little flares that tie it to the Bond franchise — like that little guitar chord at the very end. Listen to it on Eilish's YouTube page right here.
Eilish has cemented her place as one of the hottest stars in music right now — she cleaned up at the 2020 Grammys, performed live at the Oscars, and continues to create hit after hit. With a Bond title track, she'll only continue to grow in mainstream popularity. At only 18 years old, the sky's the limit for the performer.
A short new trailer was released to coincide with the theme's reveal, featuring the song in the background and showing a few new clips. It's nothing major, but if you just can't get enough of No Time to Die, you can check it out right here.
What's No Time to Die rated, and how long is it?
There have been lots of rumors and assumptions floating around about both No Time to Die's runtime and rating, but both have now been officially revealed. The rating should come as no surprise — like most modern Bond films, it will receive a PG-13 rating for "Sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, brief strong language and some suggestive material."
One rumor that was giving some people pause was that No Time to Die was going to have an epic runtime, and it sounds as if that rumor was true. TechRadar has confirmed that multiple theater chains have listed the film's runtime as 163 minutes, or just under three hours. Before Daniel Craig, Bond movies were typically fairly snappy, but this will be the longest one yet. The previous record for length was Spectre, which was about fifteen minutes shorter than No Time to Die is reported to be. You might want to check a good time to use the bathroom during the movie before you hit the theater to see the latest Bond film, that's all we're saying.