2022 was a big year for the James Bond movies, with several anniversaries being marked at various important milestones. Overall, the greatest celebration was for the 60th anniversary of the franchise’s debut with Dr. No in 1962; but several individual movies had special significance this year. One such movie was Die Another Day, which was celebrated by one of its stars, Halle Berry.
Aptly calling back to her iconic bikini scene from the 20th James Bond film, the 20th anniversary for that project inspired Berry to share some good tidings on Twitter. Kicking things off properly, she shared a clip of that very moment, along with a sweet message for Pierce Brosnan, in the message shown below:
… it’s been 20 years. Pierce Brosnan forever my BOND! pic.twitter.com/tqkx2zpuiSNovember 22, 2022
Acting as the milestone movie for the 40th anniversary of the Bond cinematic franchise, Die Another Day included tons of easter eggs calling back to every film in the series. Introducing the character Giacinta “Jinx” Johnson to audiences around the world, Halle Berry’s grand entrance was a riff on Ursula Andress’ first appearance as Honey Rider in Dr. No.
Recreating James Bond history was an effective way of introducing one of the most iconic Bond Women to ever save the world with 007. It certainly wouldn't be the last time that moment would serve as inspiration, as Daniel Craig got to have his own version of that moment in Casino Royale. But this big Die Another Day scene wasn’t exactly the warmest day on set. Berry shared this rather chilling fact as she reflected further on producing that very scene in this follow-up tweet:
So the biggest acting challenge I had during this scene was to make it look like the water was warm … when I was actually freezing my butt off 😂 Happy 20 years to Die Another Day. pic.twitter.com/qWCj2i5rWoNovember 22, 2022
As a film experience, Die Another Day is one of the more controversial entries in the Pierce Brosnan era of 007. But as we’ve seen throughout the series’ history, there are always some highlights to pull from even those films that are arguably the weakest. Halle Berry’s Jinx is one such highlight, to the point where there was a Jinx spinoff written by 007 writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.
While that film never got beyond the scripting phase, there are some who share Berry’s disappointment that Jinx was put on ice. 20 years later, it doesn't look like the chances are any better for this opportunity either thanks to the anti-spinoff stance that Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have maintained.
Maybe some day we'll get to read the entire contents put into that script. As it stands, we have a 007 entry full of memorable moments and comebacks from Ms. Berry that can be readily enjoyed.
Though Die Another Day isn't currently streaming, you can enjoy Halle Berry saving the world in another way. Her role in the Roland Emmerich disaster film Moonfall is, at the time of this writing, part of the HBO Max subscription library.
