We’ve been waiting a long time for the return of Daniel Craig’s James Bond, with his 007 last appearing in 2015’s Spectre. Now we’re just several months away from this reunion, but things can still change this far into the moviemaking process. In No Time to Die’s case, it’s reportedly brought Hans Zimmer aboard as its new composer.
Hans Zimmer replaces Dan Romer, who was announced to be scoring No Time to Die in July 2019. According to Variety, Romer was dismissed by Eon Productions, the production company behind the James Bond movies, last month due to “creative differences,” and Zimmer is now taking charge on the music side of things.
However, because No Time to Die is just three months away from release, not to mention that Hans Zimmer is busy with other movies like Wonder Woman 1984 and Top Gun: Maverick, Variety also noted that it’s possible he will enlist some help to ensure that the movie comes out on time. For that to happen, the music will likely need to be completed by mid-February, so he could turn to past collaborators like Benjamin Wallfisch (Blade Runner 2049, Hidden Figures) or Lorne Balfe (The Dark Knight Rises, Dunkirk) for assistance.
Assuming all of this information is legitimate, then this will be the first time that Hans Zimmer has scored a James Bond movie, and it’s also the first time in this film series’ history that a composer has been replaced during post-production. Looking at the Daniel Craig era Bond movies, David Arnold handled scoring duties for Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, and Thomas Newman tackled Skyfall and Spectre.
While the overall score for No Time to Die is handled, one big question mark that remains on the music side of things is the theme song. We still don’t know who will follow in the footsteps of artists like Adele and Sam Smith to write and perform No Time to Die’s standout tune, although back in November, Tom Walker expressed interest in doing so. Whoever handles it, ideally it’s already been completed and the public is simply still being kept in the dark, as opposed to still being figured out.
Taking place five years after the events of Spectre, No Time to Die will follow James Bond being pulled back into duty by his CIA buddy Felix Leiter to help track down an abducted scientist, which subsequently puts him on the trail of a villain armed with dangerous new technology. Cary Fukanaga directed the picture (replacing Danny Boyle) and co-wrote the screenplay with Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Along with Daniel Craig reprising James Bond for the fifth and final time, No Time to Die also sees Jeffrey Wright, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kenner and Christoph Waltz all reprising their respective roles. The newcomers include Rami Malek as Safin, Lashana Lynch as Nomi and Ana de Armas as Paloma, among others.
No Time to Die opens in theaters on April 10, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage. In the meantime, be sure to look through our 2020 release schedule to learn what else is arriving over the next 12 months.
