FEATURE

James Bond series: Royal premiere of ‘No Time to Die’

The 25th film of the James Bond series is going to be released on Thursday. This is the last picture of Holly-star Daniel Craig as ‘James Bond’. With this, Daniel will appear on the screen for the fifth time as Bond. Members of the British royal family attended the premiere of the film at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday, local time.

Prince Charles of the British royal family and his son William, their wives Camilla and Katherine    Photo: Reuters

After five delays and an industry-paralyzing crisis, the 25th James Bond — which became the first major tentpole to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 — is finally out of the gate following a major celebration.

“This is amazing,” Daniel Craig said on the red carpet stage for his final Bond outing. “I really genuinely didn’t think we’d get here, but we are. … I can’t wait to celebrate with everybody.”

Daniel Craig on the red carpet at the premiere of No Time to Die. Photo: Reuters

Joining Craig on the red carpet were co-stars Rami Malek, Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas, Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris, director Cary Joji Fukunaga and musician Billie Eilish, whose title song, “No Time to Die,” has already won a Grammy.

England national team footballer Hurricane and his wife. Photo: Reuters

“I’m very proud of it,” Craig said of the film. “We don’t make it for ourselves, we make it for people to see in the cinema, and we’re going to watch it on a huge screen this evening, which is exactly where Bond movies should be.”

Prince Charles with actor Daniel Craig. Photo: Reuters

Adding a decent splash of royalty to the A-list mix were Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles, who arrived last and were introduced to the cast just prior to the screening by Bond gatekeepers and Eon Production heads Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. They were then welcomed into the royal box by a 12-piece marching band on stage. The top brass from both MGM and Universal were also in attendance.

Tuesday’s world premiere — the biggest film premiere in the U.K. in several years and, definitely, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic — required all guests to show negative COVID-19 tests before entering the venue, and guests were “strongly encouraged” to wear masks throughout, per the official invite.

James Bond series: Royal premiere of ‘No Time to Die’

When asked about her Bond experience, Lynch said when she auditioned for her character, Nomi, she initially didn’t know it was for a Bond role. “When I learned that she was a 00 agent and that she had agency in her voice and what we want to see on screen as Black women, I thought, ‘I am so glad I get to read this script,’” she recalled. “I am so glad this is me and I get to have these conversations with people who will carry the franchise into a new era.”

The attention paid to No Time to Die‘s world premiere was unlike any in recent memory, not simply because of the popularity of the famous film franchise, but also due to the unprecedented level of turbulence the film has faced — including no less than five delays and a release date that many thought might never arrive.

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