No Time to Die director and co-writer Cary Joji Fukunaga has revealed his favorite 007 films less than three weeks out from the release of the latest Daniel Craig-helmed James Bond adventure, giving some insight into the influences he might draw from for the first time directing the British Agent in a movie.
The plot of the film picks up five years after the events of 2015’s Spectre, in which the martini-drinking spy drives off into the proverbial sunset, having defeated his arch-nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). Waltz will be reprising his role as the scarred baddy, and will co-star along with Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Ben Wishaw as “Q” and Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner. Rami Malek will also make his debut as antagonist Lyutsifer Safin, Lashanna Lynch as 00 Agent Nomi and Ana de Armas as Paloma, a CIA agent.
In the film, Bond finds himself once again involved in the world of espionage when his short-lived retirement is interrupted by a request from his old pal from the CIA, Felix Leiter. Leiter’s request for help leads Bond to the trail of a mysterious villain armed with new and dangerous technology.
Fukunaga explained to The Hollywood Reporter that his personal favorite Bond films include 2006’s Casino Royale and 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Those are sure to be some interesting influences on the newest installment, as Martin Campbell’s universally acclaimed Craig-helmed reboot contrasts sharply with the somewhat mixed reputation of Peter R. Hunt’s Majesty. Majesty does have a more human and emotional take on the character, however, which may play out as a favorable influence of the new film.
You won’t need to wait much longer to see No Time to Die, as, despite a number of pandemic-induced release shifts, it’s scheduled to hit theaters on October 8th.
