Hans Zimmer has been drafted in as a last-minute replacement to score the James Bond movie No Time to Die, less than three months before its release.
He replaces Dan Romer, who departs due to creative differences with the film’s production company Eon Productions, Variety reports. Romer had scored previous projects by Bond director Cary Fukunaga, such as Beasts of No Nation and Maniac. The theme song, a key element of each Bond film, has not yet been announced.
Zimmer is one of Hollywood’s most high-profile composers, celebrated for his scores for films such as Gladiator, The Da Vinci Code and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He won an Oscar for his 1994 theme for The Lion King, though he is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Christoper Nolan on Inception, Interstellar, the Dark Knight movies and more. Last week, Quentin Tarantino said “you could define the decade by” Zimmer’s score for Nolan’s film Dunkirk.
Zimmer has scored two more films approaching release: superhero sequel Wonder Woman 1984 and Denis Villeneuve’s remake of Dune. He recently announced a live tour of arenas across Europe in spring 2021.
• No Time to Die is released on 2 April in the UK and 10 April in the US.
Related Slideshow: James Bond – ‘No Time to Die’ – What we know so far (Provided by Photo Services)
Bond’s 25th silver screen outing, “No Time To Die” dropped its first trailer on Dec. 4, 2019. From a brand new villain to its action-packed plot, here is all that we know so far about the upcoming action thriller.
The plot
According to a short description released by Studio MGM, “Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.” This would mark Craig’s fifth and reportedly final Bond release.
(Pictured) Craig in a promotional still from “Spectre” (2015).
The villain
Oscar winner Rami Malek, of “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) and “Mr. Robot” (2015-) fame, plays the masked villain Safin. Malek confirmed the news in April 2019 at the launch of the film via video link. “I promise you all I will be making sure Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it in this, his 25th outing,” he said.
(Pictured) Malek in a promotional still from “Mr. Robot.”
A new ’00’ agent
Lashana Lynch, of “Captain Marvel” (2019) fame, plays Nomi, a new “00” agent who enters active service following Bond’s retirement. In the trailer, she appears to be on the same mission as Bond. However, she clearly means business when she says she would put a bullet in the aging spy’s knee if he gets in her way. She even goes on to specify it is the knee “that works” that she will target.
A new Bond Girl
Cuban-Spanish actress Ana de Armas, who has starred in movies such as “Blade Runner 2049” (2017) and “Knives Out” (2019), plays Paloma, a CIA agent assisting Bond.
Seydoux holds a secret
Léa Seydoux returns as Madeleine Swann, Bond’s romantic interest from “Spectre” (pictured). In the trailer, she is shown to be holding on to a terrible secret that would be the “death” of him when it is revealed. She is also shown crying over a mask that later appears on Malek’s face. Is she connected to Safin? Audience will have to wait for the release to find out.
Blofeld’s back
Christoph Waltz, who played iconic Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in “Spectre” (pictured), also makes a return to the franchise. In the trailer, he appears to be under custody and speaks with Bond from behind the glass walls of a tiny cell.
The team’s back
Bond’s trusted team, Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), M (Ralph Fiennes, C) and Q (Ben Whishaw), are back in their respective positions at the MI6.
Wright’s third outing as Leiter
Following “Casino Royale” (2006) and “Quantum of Solace” (2008), Jeffrey Wright is back as Bond’s old CIA ally Felix Leiter. He is the one who comes to Bond for help, forcing the secret agent out of retirement. He also ominously advises Bond to not trust anyone else in his new mission.
DB5’s got upgrades
Any Bond movie would be incomplete without extreme automotive action sequences. In the 25th chapter of the spy series, Bond’s trusted old Aston Martin DB5 has received a serious upgrade. The trailer shows a pair of massive Gatling guns popping out of the headlights of the DB5 to take out an army of goons. A brand new Aston Martin is also teased in the trailer, as Lynch is seen rolling up in a shiny black DB11.
The director
Emmy-winning director Cary Joji Fukunaga is at the helm of the thriller. Fukunaga has earlier worked on the TV series “True Detective” (2014) and “Maniac” (2018) as well as the critically acclaimed movie “Beasts of No Nation” (2015). Speaking at an event, Fukunaga said, “Daniel is my favorite Bond and I want to make sure this run of films, which have been fantastic, have a really great next chapter and keep upping the ante so whoever is next has a harder job.”
The writers
“Fleabag” creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge co-wrote the film with Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns and Fukunaga. In the franchise’s 57-year history, Waller-Bridge is only the second woman to get a writing credit. The first was Johanna Harwood on “Dr. No” (1962) and “From Russia with Love” (1963).
The release date
The movie is set to release in the U.S. on April 8, 2020. However, it will see an earlier release in Germany, Spain, U.K., Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, on April 2.