Ralph Fiennes, who reprises his role as MI6 head ‘M’ in No Time To Die, was recently asked by the BBC about the situation concerning the delayed release of the 25th Bond adventure (its release has been delayed for a third time).
The actor made it clear that he hopes people will be given the opportunity to see the new movie on the big screen in cinemas, maintaining the James Bond tradition. He commented: ‘I would love the idea that people could go to the cinema and have the full effect of the big-screen energy behind Bond…’. Referring to the Covid pandemic situation and its impact on cinemagoing, Fiennes added: ‘I really hope that we come through this so people can go to the cinema’.
Fiennes also made similar comments to The Times newspaper, which published a profile of him to tie-in with his new movie The Dig, which is directed by Simon Stone and explores the real-life and famous Sutton Hoo archaeological discovery of 1939 (Fiennes plays Basil Brown, who made the stunning find).
Quizzed at one point in the profile about the 007 situation, and the suggestion by some people that the new Bond movie should be released online, Fiennes said: ‘I want to be optimistic and hope that they hold their nerve. As a punter I would love to go and sit and watch a big movie in the the cinema. I feel a real hunger to be in a cinema, so I hope they hold their nerve’. Asked about his more general acting plans for the future, Fiennes said that he did not have any at the moment, as the latest Covid lockdown had moved around everything that had been slated.
As many Bond aficionados will know, the award-winning actor played Gareth Mallory in Skyfall, who took over as the new ‘M’. Fiennes reprised the role in Spectre. His appearance in No Time To Die will be his third turn as ‘M’. During filming on Bond 25, Fiennes, along with Daniel Craig and Cary Fukunaga, received a visit on set from the real-life head of MI6, who is known as ‘C’.
Did You Know?
Ralph Fiennes has always been something of a Bond fan himself over the years. In 2011, he revealed: ‘I love the Bond books particularly… I like the darkness of the books. But I’ve also enjoyed the films’.
