No Time to Die
No Time to Die is a 2021 spy action film directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, marking the twenty-fifth entry in the Eon Productions James Bond series and concluding Daniel Craig's tenure as the titular MI6 agent in his fifth outing.[1][2] In the story, a retired Bond, enjoying a quiet life in Jamaica, is pulled back into the field by his old CIA colleague Felix Leiter to rescue a kidnapped scientist, only to uncover a shadowy villain wielding a nanobot bioweapon capable of targeting specific DNA.[2] The film features a principal cast including Léa Seydoux as Bond's romantic interest Madeleine Swann, Rami Malek as the antagonist Lyutsifer Safin, Lashana Lynch as MI6 operative Nomi, and returning players like Christoph Waltz as Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Ben Whishaw as Q.[1] Originally slated for a 2019 release under director Danny Boyle, production faced upheaval when Boyle departed over creative differences, with Fukunaga stepping in to helm the project amid script rewrites.[3] Further delays pushed the premiere to September 2021 internationally and October in the United States, attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on filming and distribution.[4] Produced on a budget estimated at $250 million, the film grossed $774 million worldwide, achieving the fourth-highest box office of 2021 despite pandemic restrictions, though analyses indicate it fell short of breaking even after marketing and delay costs.[5][6] Critically, it garnered an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and praise for Craig's performance and action sequences, but drew fan backlash for Bond's unprecedented on-screen death and perceived narrative inconsistencies, including a convoluted villain origin and underutilized supporting characters.[7][8] The soundtrack, composed by Hans Zimmer, incorporated leitmotifs from prior Craig-era scores, while Billie Eilish's theme song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, highlighting the film's musical achievements amid its mixed legacy as a franchise capstone.[9]Synopsis
Plot
In a flashback set in Norway, a young Madeleine Swann witnesses the masked terrorist Lyutsifer Safin murder her mother as revenge against her father, former SPECTRE operative Mr. White; after Madeleine shoots Safin in retaliation, he spares her life despite her falling through ice into a frozen lake, pulling her to safety.[10] Five years after the events of Spectre, James Bond, having left MI6, travels to Matera, Italy, with his lover Madeleine Swann to visit the tomb of Vesper Lynd; SPECTRE assassins, led by the cybernetically enhanced gunman Primo (also known as "Cyclops"), attack them in retaliation for Bond's past actions against the organization, prompting Bond to suspect Madeleine's betrayal after finding a planted photograph of the tomb and abandon her at a train station.[10] Retired and living in Jamaica, Bond is approached by his old CIA friend Felix Leiter and new agent Logan Ash to locate kidnapped Soviet defector and biochemist Valdo Obruchev, who developed "Heracles"—a nanobot bioweapon capable of targeting and killing individuals with specific DNA profiles, originally intended as a herbicide but weaponized by MI6.[10] Bond teams with Cuban agent Paloma to infiltrate a SPECTRE summit in Cuba hosted by Ernst Stavro Blofeld, where Obruchev—secretly working for Safin—releases Heracles, killing most attendees except Bond, who is immune due to his Russian heritage from his mother; Ash, revealed as a SPECTRE double agent, murders Leiter and flees with Obruchev.[10] Returning to London, a disillusioned Bond clashes with MI6 head M over the Heracles breach and interrogates imprisoned Blofeld at Belmarsh Prison, learning Safin rebuilt SPECTRE's remnants after Bond killed its leadership; when Madeleine unexpectedly appears at the prison—having been infected by Safin with nanobots keyed to her DNA—Bond inadvertently triggers Heracles via contact, killing Blofeld.[10] Bond visits Madeleine at her home in England, discovering she has a young daughter, Mathilde, whom she claims was conceived after their breakup; Safin's henchmen attack, killing Ash in the ensuing fight, but kidnap Madeleine and Mathilde, forcing Bond to confirm Mathilde as his biological daughter via a later DNA test.[10] With assistance from MI6's new 007, Nomi, Bond locates Safin's heavily defended island base in the Faroe Islands, a former Cold War poison garden; while Nomi destroys the Heracles stockpile and kills Obruchev, Safin infects Bond with nanobots targeting Madeleine and Mathilde's DNA, rendering him a walking bioweapon.[10] In the climax, Bond kills Safin in hand-to-hand combat but, to prevent Heracles dispersal and protect his family, manually reprograms the island's defense system to open its missile silos, allowing RAF strikes to destroy the facility; Bond shares a final conversation with Madeleine before succumbing to the bombardment.[10] MI6 later toasts Bond's sacrifice, while Madeleine, with Mathilde, visits Matera and reveals Bond as her father, echoing the film's title from a lullaby her mother sang.[10]Cast
The principal cast of No Time to Die features Daniel Craig in his fifth and final portrayal of James Bond, the British secret agent.[1] Léa Seydoux reprises her role as Dr. Madeleine Swann, Bond's love interest from Spectre.[1] Rami Malek plays the antagonist Lyutsifer Safin, a mysterious villain seeking global domination through a biological weapon.[1]| Actor | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Craig | James Bond | Returning lead |
| Léa Seydoux | Dr. Madeleine Swann | Returning from Spectre |
| Rami Malek | Lyutsifer Safin | New antagonist |
| Lashana Lynch | Nomi | New MI6 agent, 00 status |
| Ben Whishaw | Q | Returning quartermaster |
| Naomie Harris | Eve Moneypenny | Returning from prior films |
| Ralph Fiennes | M | Returning head of MI6 |
| Ana de Armas | Paloma | New CIA agent ally |
| Christoph Waltz | Ernst Stavro Blofeld | Returning from Spectre |
| Jeffrey Wright | Felix Leiter | Returning CIA operative |