Bond film is ‘kite caught in Covid storm’

• Radhakrishna N S
• 04 February, 2021

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By: Radhakrishna N S

By Amit Roy

THE third delay in the release of the James Bond movie, No Time To Die, will cause particular disappointment in In­dia, where the films are routinely dubbed in Indian languages and play regularly in theatres and on television.

The delay was announced on the James Bond official twitter account with just the new date – October 8, 2021 – for the release. It has been pushed back from April 2, 2021.

Although Bond films rely on a global release for box office success – 2015’s Spectre took almost $900 million – they are traditionally given a fair wind with a glamorous premiere in London’s Leices­ter Square.

For an authoritative comment, Eastern Eye spoke to Ajay Chowdhury, spokes­man for the James Bond International Fan Club and author of Some Kind of He­ro: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films.

He posed the question: “Will James Bond return?”

His answer: “Yes, eventually.”

No Time To Die finds Bond after he has left active service and is enjoying a tran­quil life in Jamaica when his old friend from the CIA, Felix Leiter, played by Jef­frey Wright, turns up asking for help.

It will deliver a satisfying ending for Daniel Craig’s Bond, according to pro­ducer Barbara Broccoli.

Speaking on the official James Bond podcast, she said: “It’s a culmination of everything that his portrayal of the char­acter has been through and it ties up all the storylines. It’s a pretty epic film, I have to say.”

The delay will come as a further blow to cinemas that have been forced to shut for months at a time because of the lock­downs. Leading film-makers, including Danny Boyle and Sir Steve McQueen, have written to the government, calling for financial support for cinema chains because “UK cinema stands on the edge of an abyss”.

Chowdhury, whose opinions have been sought by the BBC and other media outlets, told Eastern Eye: “When No Time To Die eventually reaches cinemas worldwide in, hopefully, October 2021, it will be the culmination of a much cursed release. The film was originally slated to come out in October 2019, then 14 Febru­ary 2020, then April 2020, then November 2020 and most recently April 2021.”

Covid-19 is still with us in 2021, he said. “But, as the vaccines roll out and hopefully society turns the corner, the tonic the world will need is pure, all-quadrant, pure escapism and entertain­ment which reaches and speaks to a glob­al, multi-generation audience. Cinema depends upon entertainments like these. Cinema, in part, depends upon Bond.”

“Five years since his last screen ap­pearance is the longest gap between the incumbent Bond’s films. From the reac­tions to this trailer, and the wider hope it contains, absence really does make the heart grow Bonder,” he quipped.

He recalled that “the publicity for the film had already started in earnest with Billie Eilish’s title song being nominated for a Grammy award. It seems the current Covid crisis has done what most Bond villains have failed to do: put paid to 007. For now. A Bond film is a huge commer­cial juggernaut and the delay came as the advertising partners were launching their 007 related merchandise projects.”

He went on: “With Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson adding their name to lobby the UK gov­ernment to give cinemas financial assis­tance, No Time To Die would have been the first major franchise event to open during the Covid crisis.

“Cinemas were banking on Bond. Alas, the decision was not that of just the pro­ducers but of their corporate partner and studio, MGM, and the international dis­tributor, Universal. All major studios are juggling their release slates and changing their plans according to the most up to date medical advice.

“No Time To Die is a kite caught in the Covid hurricane.”

The search for Craig’s successor has yet to begin in earnest.

According to Chowdhury, “Craig’s fifth, and seemingly final, Bond film has been tantalisingly teased with a high-octane entry. Cary Fukunaga’s 007 directorial de­but takes us on a global odyssey from Ja­maica to Cuba, from London to Norway, from Italy to the Faroe Islands and be­yond. Aided by the Whitehall brigade of Gareth Mallory aka M (Ralph Fiennes), Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), Bill Tanner (Rory Kinnear) and Q (Ben Whishaw), Bond gets to grips with the mysterious Nomi (Lashana Lynch), Palo­ma (Ana de Armas), David Dencik as Waldo and all routes lead to the mysteri­ous Safin (Oscar-winning Rami Malek in operatic form). Bond is re-united with CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and his love interest from 2015’s Spectre, Dr Made­line Swann (Lea Seydoux) in a series first.”

He added: “As usual the adventure is fully loaded with action on the ocean, on land and sea involving a mysterious labo­ratory facility, a sinewy hair-raising motor­bike chase, a panoramic drive on an im­possible ocean bridge, a rough house cross country chase involving the new Land Rover Defender and stylish Bondian action involving a plethora of Aston Martins from the classic DB5 to the brand new Valhalla.”

Chowdhury summed up: “This Bond will be the culmination of Bond’s recent adventures tying up the threads of his life including his pivotal doomed relation­ship with Vesper Lynd, from 2006’s Casi­no Royale, right through to arch-nemesis Ernst Stravos Blofeld – reintroduced to us as Franz Oberhauser played by Christoph Waltz in Spectre.”

Earlier this month, Warner Bros an­nounced it was delaying the release of Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark. Other blockbusters affected by the pandemic include Jared Leto super­hero film Morbius, sci-fi epic Dune and action sequel Top Gun: Maverick.

However, Bond is considered the most serious casualty.