We’ve Been Expecting You, Mr. Bond. The Film Premiere of The Year

Boasting a filmography spanning seven decades, it’s safe to say the James Bond franchise has surpassed its status as an iconic pop-culture classic; it’s now a firmly established British institution, as iconic as Big Ben and Her Majesty the Queen.   

Sophisticated, suave and sometimes (always) pushing the boundaries of appropriateness, it’s a franchise that has commanded our attention for close to sixty years and inspired generations of action filmmaking.

Lashana Lynch, Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, and director, Cary Joji Fukunaga

18 months on from its planned release date the 25th Bond instalment fittingly received the royal treatment, premiering last week at none other than London’s Royal Albert Hall.

A premiere that oozed sophistication, the spectacle offered fans a glimpse of old-Hollywood glamour in a time when large-scale occasions are few and far between.  

Among the A-listers in attendance were two generations of royals, Bond theme song artist Billie Eilish, Dame Judi Dench who previously played Bond's boss, M, in the franchise, Jason Mamoa and Geri Halliwell.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles

The star-studded red carpet procession was led by departing Bond, Daniel Craig who spoke on his career-shaping role, saying it was “incredibly important to cinema and to history, and the weight of that has been on my shoulders for a while. I’ve been incredibly lucky.”

Rami Malek felt a similar responsibility in his role as supervillain Safin, “It’s another extremely clever script from the people who have figured out exactly what people want in those movies, but I feel a substantial weight on my shoulders. I mean, Bond is ­something that we all grow up with… what greater honour could you have than [to be cast in] a film that’s tethered to our cinematic fabric; the backbone of any franchise in film history is James Bond.”

After an extensive stint in release-day limbo, the cast and crew unanimously expressed their appreciation for the big screen.

Ben Wishaw, who returned as Q said, “I think I worried most of all that it would just turn up on a sort of streaming channel and that would have felt really wrong. I’m really pleased that they held out and that we’ll be able to see it on a big screen, as it was intended to be seen.”

Bond newcomer Lashana Lynch who plays new 00 Agent, Nomi, said her emotions were, “an amalgamation of everything on the spectrum – so much hard work has gone into making this movie and I’m just so glad that we get to celebrate it in the way that it deserves.”

Lynch also praised co-writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge for helping to bring “black feminine energy” to the script – a first for the franchise. Fleabag‘s Waller-Bridge was brought in by producer Barbara Broccoli, with Craig’s endorsement, to polish the script.

For Craig, it was simple. “We don’t make these movies for us, we make it for them. I can’t wait for people to see it.”

No Time To Die is in cinemas on November 11.