MANILA, Philippines—In the latest installment of one of the world’s most beloved film franchise and agent James Bond, Daniel Craig suits up one last time as Agent 007 in No Time to Die, slated to open in Philippine cinemas on December 15.
In No Time To Die, Bond enjoys the peace and quiet of life in Jamaica after his departure from active service. His peace is short-lived when old friend Felix Leiter, from the CIA, turns up with the mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist, leading him onto the trail of a mysterious villain known as Safin armed with dangerous new technology.
Daniel Craig. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures International.
In this all-new mission, director Cary Fukunaga brings together the returning cast from previous Bond films—iconic, award-winning and complete actors with Craig, to bring the audience to an unforgettable ride going back to the cinemas, including Léa Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, Christoph Waltz and Jeffrey Wright.
Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, is an intelligent and highly-capable psychologist who stands as the most significant other in Bond’s life. “Madeleine is happy she’s with Bond, and we think that they are united for the best,” she says. “But we’ll find out that they have problems to solve, and I think that in No Time To Die we learn more about their intimacy, in a way.”
Léa Seydoux. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures International.
Another significant woman in Bond’s life is Naomie Harris’s Moneypenny. She is now settled in her position as M’s right-hand woman, though her loyalty to Bond remains untarnished. “I think it’s absolutely brilliant that the women in this movie play such a central role,” Harris affirms.
She adds, “They are so important to driving the story forward. They are bad-ass. They are formidable, strong and confident women. Throughout this film you know Bond would not have survived without the help of the various women that helped him along the way.”
Ben Wishaw. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures International.
One of Bond’s longtime allies and another key M16 member is Q played by Ben Whishaw. “Q’s always caught between Bond, and what he’s told to do by M,” he says. “Always his loyalty is with Bond; there’s a real affection there, which I think comes out in this film quite a lot.”
Along with Harris and Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes also reprises the role of M. Fiennes says that he was more than impressed with the story ideas on which Fukunaga wanted to concentrate. “When Cary got on the phone with me and told me the story, I must say I thought it was very strong,” says Fiennes, who stars in his third consecutive Bond film.
Rory Kinnear, Naomi Harris, Ralph Fiennes. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures International.
Another long-serving MI6 employee who reappears in No Time To Die is Tanner, played by Rory Kinnear. “There is that sense of tying up loose ends and there is a sense of family in many ways— that family of MI6, for one. The story looks at what loyalty requires of you, what it can take from you, and what it can do to your own personal life as well as your working life.”
Making a return is one of the franchise’s most famous nemesis Blofeld, who debuted on screen in 1963’s From Russia With Love, and whose first overt connection to the Daniel Craig’s films began in Spectre, where he provided important insights into Bond’s upbringing and the pain he has suffered from Casino Royale onwards. Christoph Waltz comes back for a second outing after the character’s incarceration at the end of the last movie.
Jeffrey Wright. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures International.
Actor Jeffrey Wright also marks a return as Leiter. He says, “With Felix and James there is a sense of fraternal kinship. They are almost like brothers in a very select circle. The story looks at this love for one another and respect for one another. Also, I think, there’s a love for the game.”
From Universal Pictures International (Ph), No Time to Die opens December 15 in theaters nationwide (check local listings of cinemas).
Watch the full trailer here: