It’s been a minute since the last James Bond movie came out, but the next installment in 007’s franchise, No Time to Die, is finally arriving in theaters next spring. Along with standing out for being Daniel Craig’s fifth and final James Bond outing, it turns out No Time to Die will also be notable as the most expensive Bond film yet.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, No Time to Die came with a $250 million price tag, outpacing 2015’s Spectre’s budget by $5 million. No specific reasons were provided for why the upcoming Bond film cost so much to make, although it was noted in the article that production is finally wrapping up next week after six months of rolling cameras, and that’s definitely a long principal photography period.
The Daniel- Craig-led James Bond movies have increasingly expensive with each new entry, with Casino Royale costing $150 million, both Quantum of Solace and Skyfall costing $200 million and Spectr settling at $245 million. Since this will be the last time we see Daniel Craig as James Bond, you can’t blame the filmmakers for wanting to end his tenure with a bang.
Looking through that lens, it makes sense why No Time to Die would come with a larger price tag, as more resources would be poured into kicking all aspects of the movie, from location shoots to stunts, up a couple notches. Plus, one would imagine that Craig received a bigger paycheck not only because it’s his fifth time as James Bond, but also as extra incentive to reprise the well-dressed spy one more time.
However, let’s also not forget that No Time to Die’s production has been… troubled, to put it lightly. From Daniel Craig injuring his ankle to a crew member being injured by a controlled explosion, No Time to Die has dealt with various setbacks, complications and delays, and when those rear their ugly heads, you can count on more money being dispensed to help keep things running as smoothly as possible.
Still, even though No Time to Die ranks at the most expensive James Bond movie yet, it doesn’t come anywhere close to being one of the most expensive films ever made. It doesn’t even crack the top 10, instead sharing Spot #15 with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the Lion King remake. For those curious, the most expensive movie ever made is Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides with a $379 million budget.
The beginning of No Time to Die will see James Bond retired from the spy life, but he’s thrust back into action at the behest of his friend and “brother from Langley,” Felix Leiter, to help find an abducted scientist. This puts James Bond on a trail that leads him to a mysterious villain armed with dangerous technology.
Along with Daniel Craig and Jeffrey Wright reprising their respective roles, No Time to Die will see the return of Ralph Fiennes’ M, Naomie Harris’ Eve Moneypenny, Léa Seydoux’s Dr. Madeleine Swann, Rory Kinnear’s Bill Tanner and Ben Whishaw’s Q. The new characters include Rami Malek’s Safin (the main antagonist), Ana de Armas’ Paloma, Lashana Lynch’s Nomi and David Dencik’s Waldo.
No Time to Die hits theaters on April 8, 2020. Look through our 2020 release schedule to find out what other movies will arrive next year.
