The first trailer for the latest Danny Boyle was originally signed on to direct his first James Bond movie, but stepped away due to the fabled "creative differences." There was also plenty of doubt over Craig's involvement, with the actor previously stating he'd rather cut his wrists that do another James Bond film.
From there, No Time To Die essentially started from scratch. Mr. Robot's Rami Malek has been cast and assigned to villain duty.
After months of speculation, No Time To Die's trailer has now been released, and aside from the usual high-octane action, death-defying stunts and stylish fast cars, it seems that Daniel Craig is set for more dramatic revelations that echo throughout the actor's series of 007 movies. Here are all the details from the first No Time To Die trailer.
Bond Thinks Madeleine Betrayed Him
In 2015's 007 and his partner under attack from shady pursuers. While racing through the paved village streets, James accuses Madeleine of selling him out, claiming he never got around to discovering her secrets. Is Bond right to suspect his lover, or is this a bad time for a lover's tiff? In either case, this seems likely to be the opening action sequence of the finished movie, setting up the main plot.
Is The World Heading To War?
In a foreboding narration from Ralph Fiennes' M, it's said that the world is arming itself faster than MI6 can keep up - is this the grand scheme Safin is cooking up in No Time To Die? Driving the world to the brink of war is certainly a storyline worthy of Daniel Craig's final James Bond film and would fit with details about Malek's character revealed later on in the trailer. Such a huge threat would also explain why the British secret service have to coax one of their dinosaurs out of retirement.
Felix Has A Mission For James
No Time To Die's trailer highlights the return of Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, Bond's American counterpart from the CIA. While Felix has appeared sparingly throughout Daniel Craig's series of Bond films, the two characters appear to share a close friendship in No Time To Die, with Felix asking a favor of James that he can apparently entrust to no one else. The placement of the duo's nightclub meeting is tricky to nail down, but since the rest of the story appears centered around MI6 and Rami Malek's Safin, Felix's mission is perhaps what first brings Bond in from the cold.
Bond's Retired
This isn't the first time that Daniel Craig's James Bond has almost retired, and a story synopsis had already confirmed No Time To Die would find the former 007 trying to enjoy a well-earned rest. This is confirmed in the trailer when M asks "where is 007?" and the footage flips to Bond enjoying a luxurious lakeside resort. However, there could be some misdirection at play here. The trailer is edited to imply that M is specifically looking for James, but could the "007" he's referring to actually be...
The New 007 In Town
Lashana Lynch has a suitably prominent role in the No Time To Die trailer, but whether or not she's Bond's replacement is only hinted at for the moment. The footage confirms that Lynch's Nomi is a 00-agent in MI6 and has been active for two years. She also has the ferocity and wit usually associated with Bond, but the trailer stops short of formally announcing her as a replacement 007. This doubt and mystique will no doubt only increase speculation but, for now at least, it only seems probable that Nomi is the new 007.
"The One That Works..."
Bond and Nomi clearly have a respectful but tempestuous rivalry, which s the theory that Lashana Lynch's character is his replacement. Ultimately, the duo end up working together, and will no doubt be firm friends by the end credits. Before that, however, Nomi threatens to put a bullet in Bond's knee if he gets in her way, going on to specify "the one that works..." This savage retort not only highlights the new 00-agent's fearlessness and humor, but also reiterates that Bond really is at the very end of his career as a spy in the field.
"Bond, James Bond"
It's more or less a legal requirement that every James Bond film should feature the iconic line, "Bond, James Bond" and the modern movies are finding increasingly unique ways to work this into the script as seamlessly as possible. No Time To Die frames the quote as a gag, in which a security guard asks for Bond's name and then waits for him to repeat the full version. Getting this moment out of the way and revealing it in the trailer is a good way of keeping the audience's focus elsewhere when the finished film hits cinemas, but it'll be interesting to see how they include "shaken, not stirred."
Q & Moneypenny Return
The old guard don't feature heavily in the No Time To Die trailer, but a brief shot does show Bond and Moneypenny turning up at Q's house, with the tech whiz evidently thrilled to see his former colleague still alive. Bond has previously sought Q's help for off-the-books matters in past movies, and turning up at what appears to be his personal residence could be a sign that the former agent is once again relying on his old friends for backup. Alternatively, perhaps MI6 are refusing to put Bond up in his usual luxury hotel suite (budget cuts) and are forcing him to bunk on Q's sofa, potentially giving No Time To Die a small outlet for comic relief.
Blofeld In The Hannibal Role
Christoph Waltz's return as the arch-villain Blofeld was widely reported in advance, but No Time To Die reveals that he'll be playing the Hannibal role on this occasion. Having been arrested during the conclusion of Spectre, Blofeld is now in MI6's custody and Bond appears to visit him in order to gain some twisted insight or advice into whatever megalomaniac is threatening the world now. However, just because Bond seeks Blofeld's wisdom in No Time To Die, that doesn't mean Spectre's former leader isn't involved with events happening on the outside.
Madeleine Swann Has A Secret
Madeleine may or may not have betrayed her beloved, but she's certainly hiding something in No Time To Die. Blofeld ominously reveals to Bond that Madeleine has a secret that will be the "death" of him when it finally gets out. The trailer then cuts to a shot of Madeline crying over a mask that is later seen on the face of Rami Malek. Are Madeleine's hidden skeletons connected to Safin, and are these ghosts from the past part of the betrayal Bond suspected her of, or some ghosts that she has tried and failed to run away from?
