Actor Daniel Craig walked the red carpet for the final time as James Bond in rain-swept London on Tuesday, at the star-studded but much-delayed world premiere of the latest superspy blockbuster, No Time To Die.
British star Craig’s fifth and final outing in the franchise is hitting big screens after its release was repeatedly postponed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Its stars arrived at the premiere at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall, with royal couples Prince Charles and Camilla and Prince William and Kate also set to attend.
The film is part of a backlog of major productions held back by distributors during the pandemic, hitting cinemas hard, and forcing some new films to be streamed.
The release will be in cinemas only, with struggling theatres hoping Bond will lure back crowds.
“I’m greatly relieved, we make Bond movies for the cinema,” Craig, dressed in a pink tuxedo jacket, told Sky News on the red carpet.
Reflecting on 15 years of playing 007, Craig said: “I genuinely don’t have any bad memories, but I think it’s going to take about another 15 years to unpick all this.”
Vue Entertainment, the UK branch of the cinema operator Vue International, hailed the movie’s release as “the cinematic event of the year”.
It will go on general release in Britain on Thursday and in the United States on October 8 — a year and a half behind schedule.
Craig bows out
In the film, reportedly costing $250 million (£182 million, 214 million euros), Bond returns to active service after retirement, vowing: “I have to finish this.”
Source: France 24
