Yahoo Finance James Bond No Time To Die world premiere: Stars arrive including Daniel Craig, Rami Malek and Lashana Lynch
The stars of No Time To Die including Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, and Lashana Lynch walked the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday night at the world premiere of the latest Bond movie.
Red carpet arrivals - also including Ben Whishaw, Lea Seydoux and script co-write Phoebe Waller Bridge - began at about 5pm at the iconic west London venue.
The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are set to attend the glittering premiere.
No Time To Die - the theme tune to which was sung by Billie Eilish - was set for release in April 2020, but was postponed due to Covid-19. It was then rescheduled again for release in UK cinemas on Wednesday, with US release following on October 8.
Daniel Craig told Sky News on the red carpet: “I genuinely don’t have any bad memories (of playing Bond) it’s going to take years to unpick this.”
Ahead of the premiere, Craig, 53, has said he will “never not think about” his time as James Bond because it has been “too big a thing in my life.”
His upcoming fifth film as 007, No Time To Die, will be his final appearance in the role, after 15 years as the spy with the licence to kill.
Craig, who made his debut as 007 in the 2006 film Casino Royale, told the PA news agency that “the making of it was just so important”, when it came to reflecting on what the part has meant to him and his career.
He added: “I’m just so grateful for the fact that I got a chance to go and make one last one and it be this one and to finish telling the story.
“This has been a massive part of my life. I’m never not going to think about this, it’s been too big a thing in my life.”
Eilish said on the red carpet she had been “scared and intimidated” to take on the Bond theme after so many great singers had gone before her.
She told Sky News: “ I was scared, intimidated. But it was such a good process it was like natural, easy and amazing.”
Whishaw, who has played gadget guru Q alongside Craig since 2012’s Skyfall, said it is emotional to think it is the last time his co-star will inhabit the role.
He told PA: “I’m moved to think that it’s his last film, personally because I just loved making them with him and I’ve had such a joyful time.
“So I’m sad for myself that that’s coming to an end. But I think that this film, and I haven’t seen it yet, but from what I recall and what I’ve read, I think this film will be a really thrilling and satisfying conclusion to his inhabiting of this character in these stories.”
Oscar-winner Malek, who joins the franchise as villain Safin, said knowing it was Craig’s last outing meant “you could feel some some tension in every aspect of shooting”.
He added: “Because everyone was marshalling themselves forward to make it the best possible Bond we could for him, there’s a lot on the line.
“He just sets a tone every day, he shows up to work and the guy is exceptional at leading.
“It’s just feels like it’s ingrained in his DNA and I would say, of course, that’s a part of playing Bond, but that’s a lot of who Daniel is.
“And every day, you just want to live up to that.”
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, one of four credited screenwriters for the film, was also on the red carpet and posed for pictures alongside a classic Bond car.
Director Cary Joji Fukunaga described the premiere as a "momentous occasion".
Speaking on the red carpet, he told the PA news agency: "With any kind of great momentous occasion there are many emotions taking place.
"All of us are very excited to finally be sharing the film with audiences. But obviously there is a lot of sadness about it being Daniel's last film.
"I think also about all the hard work that went into it, we can breathe a sigh of relief."
Asked about the inclusion of complex female roles, he added: "I think Daniel's Bond is already very different from previous Bonds and Barbara Broccoli remains successful because she reflects the world.
"I think in this one there aren't any huge surprises but we made sure the women have more than one dimension."
From 5pm, Bond fans queued outside in black tie in the pouring rain, waiting to walk the red carpet and perhaps grab a glimpse of the No Time To Die stars.
Windswept and soggy, most eventually made it inside after a half an hour wait - ready to take their seats ahead of the royal arrivals.
US Open champion Emma Raducanu was among the stars in attendance.
Carrie Johnson, Martin Freeman, Monroe Bergdorf, Tess Daly and Vernon Kay were among the stars spotted inside.
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