The James Bond franchise is the longest running in film history, and one that has spanned decades of filmmaking. As such, there are generations of fans who clamor to theaters to watch 007's latest adventures. We are coming up on the 25th movie in the series, with Cary Joji Fukunaga No Time to Die marking Daniel Craig's fifth and final appearance as Bond. While the fans and crew are preparing to say goodbye to that hulking form of 007, Eon Productions' Barbara Broccoli recently spokr to what made Craig such a great Bond.
Eon Production is the film house behind the James Bond franchise, with Barbara Broccoli following in her father's footsteps as the head of the franchise. It was Broccoli who insisted that Daniel Craig was the right actor to follow up Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. And while reflecting on his tenure as the MI6 agent, she spoke to Craig's performance. As Broccoli put it,
He brought flesh and blood to the character. Bond in the novel is a silhouette. Daniel has given him depth and an inner life. We were looking for a 21st-century hero, and that’s what he delivered. He bleeds; he cries; he’s very contemporary.
That's some seriously high praise. Especially considering how long Barbara Broccoli has been working on the James Bond franchise. Namely, all of her professional life.
Barbara Broccoli's comments to Variety highlight exactly what Daniel Craig brought the franchise with his James Bond. Craig followed Pierce Brosnan's four movies, which was an anthology that relied on high tech gadgets as the years went on. But the last five movies have leaned into realism and serialized storytelling. Bond's actions are informed by his history, and characters are carried through various movies.
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Daniel Craig doesn't have the same over the top swagger as his predecessors as Bond. 007 feels like a real person, who doesn't use catch phrases or gadgets. What's more, Craig brings a hulking physical presence, making Bond much more imposing and believable as a killer. His debut Casino Royale was extremely gritty, while Skyfall gave Judi Dench's M one final outing.
No Time to Die should be the cumulation of his previous appearances, and it should be interesting to see where director Cary Joji Fukunaga takes the story. The movie will feature the return of Léa Seydoux's Dr. Madeleine Swann and Christoph Waltz as Ernst Stavro Blofeld from Spectre. There will also be newcomers, including Lashana Lynch's 00 agent Nomi, Ana de Armas' Paloma, and Rami Malek's villainous Safin. Given how the movies have embraced serialized storytelling, this should no doubt be a grand finale for Daniel Craig's run as 007.
No Time to Die will hit theaters on April 10th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
