The first trailer for the latest James Bond movie, No Time To Die, has finally arrived, and here are all the major story details revealed. After 4 immensely successful entries with Daniel Craig at the forefront of the franchise, the actor’s tenure as cinema’s most famous spy is set to come to an end with No Time To Die, but the latest Bond offering has endured a troubled production. The Oscar-winning 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. Cary Fukunaga was drafted in as a replacement for Boyle and Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge was tasked with reworking the original script. Daniel Craig was eventually confirmed to be returning as Bond, in what is widely considered to be his final jaunt as 007, but rumors soon began circulating that another figure would be taking over that mantle - Lashana Lynch’s Nomi. In addition to series regulars such as Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw, 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 Spectre, Bond drove off into the sunset with Madeleine Swann by his side, finally getting a well-deserved break from the adrenaline-pumping spy lifestyle. Unfortunately, it seems that Bond’s quest for a quiet life will have to be put on hold, as the opening scene of No Time To Die’s trailer shows the former 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 supports 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?
Rami Malek’s Villain
Revealed on a character poster the day before the trailer dropped, Rami Malek’s Safin is finally revealed proper in the No Time To Die trailer. Safin claims to see Bond as “his own reflection” and believes his “skills” will leave a lasting legacy upon the world, suggesting he’s another cerebral villain for Bond to face, but one that has endured a harsh and violent upbringing. Malek’s character stands over a mystery figure (possibly Bond) trapped under a sheet of ice and is later accused of “playing God.” These clues suggest Safin’s plan could involve some kind of mass genocide.
The Mask & Scarring
Scarring is a common theme among Bond’s recent villains (see Blofeld, Raoul Silva, Le Chiffre), and Safin is no different, with distinctive marks around his face and jaw. In a more unique twist, Safin wears what appears to be a Kabuki-style mask with the lower-left part broken away; damage that roughly correlates with Safin’s facial scarring. Evidently, there’s a connection between the mask and whatever trauma Malek’s character has endured, while sending the item to Swann adds another layer of mystery and hints that Bond’s lover might’ve been involved with Safin previously. Just Bond’s luck.
A First Look At Ana De Armas
The No Time To Die trailer offers a first glimpse at Ana De Armas as Paloma. Although the concept of a “Bond girl” feels somewhat redundant in 2019, this character is perhaps the closest No Time To Die comes to fulfilling that stereotype. Paloma seems to be an ally of Bond’s on his latest mission, and having had a falling out with Madeleine, a brief romantic liaison between the two is firmly on the cards. Fortunately, Paloma also seems to know her way around dual-wielding machine guns.
Villain Bases Are Getting Fancier
Naturally, plenty of gorgeous shots are woven throughout the No Time To Die trailer, but by far the most striking is the uniquely lit image of what appears to be some kind of secret base. The structure could be described as a man-made tunnel with water flowing through the center and banks at either side. Perhaps the inner of a highly modern dam, this setting certainly looks like the same location Bond faces off with Safin, implying it’s the villains HQ. Henchmen seem to be working both at the sides and within the water, while strange poles of light are used the illuminate the site. There’s no telling what this location could be at present, but it’s indicative of the impressive visuals that will be featured in No Time To Die.
Minigun Headlights
It wouldn’t be Bond with a deadly gadget, and the trailer’s parting gift sees an under-fire Bond, with Madeleine in the passenger seat, deploy two miniguns from his headlights and then perform doughnuts in order to ensure all the bad guys get their share of bullets. This moment is a timely reminder that among all the heavy exposition, emotional drama and connectivity to previous films, No Time To Die isn’t beyond delivering some fun gadgety violence.
The Gun Barrel Shot (But In A Tunnel)
Ah, there it is. Just as No Time To Die rejigs the “Bond, James Bond” quote for an audience over-familiar with the trope, it also provides a fresh take on the famous gun barrel shot that forms the usual James Bond title card. This moment looks like it could be taken from the same enemy base shown previously in the trailer, with the strange light poles and Rami Malek at the center.
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