All they had to do was what no supervillain ever had: End James Bond.
Cary Joji Fukunaga's "No Time to Die" proved a box office smash despite the pandemic and made it onto five Oscar shortlists — more than any other movie. What separates it from other Bonds? It's Daniel Craig's final entry, the culmination of the first continuing story in the franchise and the longest Bond film at 2 hours, 43 minutes. Its length affords breathing room to emphasize character and relationships. Concluding the story means less exposition and more resonance from previous films. As Craig and Fukunaga say in a Zoom chat with The Envelope, that emphasis was by design — and out of "passion."
Q: You've taken on adaptations before but never a sequel, much less such a consequential sequel to one of the crown-jewel movie franchises. What did you want to add to that tapestry?
