Why The Shocking Ending Of No Time To Die Divided Audiences
After three pandemic-related delays, the twenty-fifth film in the James Bond franchise and the fifth and final outing of Daniel Craig as the MI6 agent, "No Time To Die," is finally available for the world to see, and it was definitely worth the wait. The highly-anticipated film from Cary Joji Fukunaga was meant to be an epic swan song for Craig, who has played James Bond more than any other actor, and for a longer period of time spanning 15 years. Despite all of the factors that could have prevented a successful release, "No Time To Die" is currently the fourth highest-grossing film of the year globally, and due to a particularly polarizing ending, a movie that people can't seem to stop talking about.
Today, "No Time to Die" producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli along with Daniel Craig himself sat down for an earth-shatteringly honest discussion about the ending of "No Time To Die," and since the hyperlink for the article spoils the ending, I'm not even going to link it until after the jump.
Y'all, consider this the biggest, loudest, most aggressive SPOILER WARNING you've ever received in your life.
If you've not yet seen "No Time To Die," scroll no further.
Do not pass GO, do not collect $200, just exit out of the article slowly and no one's feelings will get hurt.
Or, you know, scroll ahead and spoil the ending for yourself with reckless abandon. I'm not your mom and I'm not here to judge your choices, just know that you've been warned.
Why Did No Time To Die End Like THAT?
According to the interview with Variety, the ending of "No Time To Die" has been part of the plan from the very beginning. Daniel Craig's plan, that is. When the producers were asked about the shocking ending, Daniel Craig took over and shared a story that revealed Craig himself was the reason for the ending that shocked the globe:
"I'm going to tell a story here, whether or not anybody remembers it or agrees with it. But it was 2006. Barbara and I were sitting in the back of a car driving away from the Berlin premiere of 'Casino Royale.' Everything was going well. People liked the movie. And it looked like I was gonna get a chance to make at least another movie. I said to Barbara, 'How many of these movies do I have to make?' Because I don't really look at contracts or any of those things. And she said, 'Four,' and I went, 'Oh, okay. Can I kill him off in the last one?'And she didn't pause. She said, 'Yes.' So I struck a deal with her back then and said, 'That's the way I'd like it to go.' It's the only way I could see for myself to end it all and to make it like that was my tenure, someone else could come and take over. She stuck to her guns."
That's right, friends — James Bond died because Daniel Craig said so. Producer Barbara Broccoli followed Craig's lead and joked, "And I had to go and tell Michael [Wilson] and we waited to tell the studio!" She continued, "We wanted to get rid of him. That was the reality. It was like, make sure that this was the way that we get rid of Daniel."
The Original Bond Creator Wanted the Same Outcome
Author Ian Fleming who created the James Bond character in his series of spy novels originally tried to kill Bond in "From Russia with Love" and "You Only Live Twice," but brought him back in subsequent books due to pressure from fans and publishers. Bond dying has always been a possibility, but Craig's insistence is why we're just now seeing it for the first time.
"Well, listen, listen, it was 'no' for a long time. Don't worry. I thought it was forgotten about, put it that way. I didn't bring it back up again until this one," Craig told Variety. Read below for Wilson's take on the whole situation.
"I think what happened was, at the end of the fourth one, we wanted Daniel back and he was very reluctant. I think we thought, all of us had thought, that that was the best way to end this whole thing. Now, you know, it wasn't unusual, because Fleming, he tried to kill him off in 'From Russia With Love,' and almost killed him off in 'You Only Live Twice.' But I think it's the fitting way to deal with a situation where a person is risking their life all the time. Eventually, the odds catch up with you. I think Fleming saw it and I guess ultimately we came to that realization, too. It's also emotionally very important to understand the risks that people like Bond engage in."
The credits in "No Time To Die" do include the note "Bond Will Return," but as to what form he'll return in ... I guess that will have to remain the biggest Bond mystery yet.