All time high. As anticipation rises for the release of the 25th James Bond movie and Daniel Craig’s final turn in the role, collectors of 007 coverage in printed magazines are already experiencing that special ‘buzz’ that comes with each new entry in the EON franchise.
A recent edition of the popular American journal Entertainment Weekly carried Bond star Daniel Craig and new Bond villain Rami Malek on its front cover, and contained interviews with members of both principal cast and key crew for No Time To Die.
There were some nicely revealing comments from all those interviewed. Craig, interviewed in New York a few weeks after completing his last turn as Bond, was – as ever – very open about the sheer physical challenges of doing a fifth adventure as 007, especially in light of the experiences he had had in previous Bond outings: ‘I had to question myself. Was I physically capable of doing another one or did I want to do another one?’
At one juncture in his interview, Craig also described to EW the running accident he had on set in Jamaica during the early stages of shooting on the 25th Bond film, when he slipped and damaged his ankle: he said he recognised immediately that he had ruptured a tendon, which was obviously extremely frustrating for the actor.
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, in her own contribution to the Entertainment Weekly Bond special, offered her perspective on persuading Daniel Craig to return to the iconic role: ‘He felt at the end of the last movie he’d kind of done it. I said to him, “I don’t think you have, I think there’s still more of the story of your Bond to tell”. Fortunately, he came around to agree with that’.
Rami Malek, in his EW interview, was especially open about the evolution of his role as the main villain and described the process of collaborating with writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge to help develop key moments: ‘She had quite an impact on what I was doing. I’d have long ‘phone conversations with her, giving her context as to what we were essentially looking for in the scenes, and she would turn things over incredibly quickly. We know her as a very witty and funny writer, but she’s got a knack for drama and tension as well’.
The EW coverage was perfect to wet the appetite of Bond aficionados who are eagerly waiting the release of No Time To Die in April, and also contained a couple of intriguing snippets about the plot: (Warning: possible spoilers ahead): it was confirmed that there is some kind of falling-out between Bond and Dr. Madeleine Swann, with Bond feeling betrayed; and it was revealed that Blofeld has been incarcerated in the UK’s famous Belmarsh Prison, but is still in contact with members of his organisation SPECTRE.
Copies of EW are still available at selected stores, and it is a must-buy purchase for Bond magazine collectors. Watch this space for further news as it breaks. You know the name, and you know the number.
