An editor who worked on No Time To Die has spoken out about the film's shocking ending. He said there was no doubt about how Daniel Craig's final Bond movie would conclude.
Warning: No Time To Die spoilers ahead.
While fans have been left shocked and disappointed by the way the 25th Bond film ended, editors Tom Cross and Elliot Graham told IndieWire that Craig's dramatic departure from the 007 role was set from the start.
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It's the first time James Bond has ever died in the franchise's history, leaving many to wonder where 007 will go from here. Several fan theories about the character's future began circulating online following the film's release.
The end credits do confirm there is a future for James Bond and some of the favourites to be the next James Bond are Tom Hardy, Idris Elba and Rege-Jean Page. But only the Broccolis know for sure where the franchise will go next.
"It was never in doubt and there were no alternatives," Cross told the publication, having always had the epic love story of On Her Majesty's Secret Service in the back of his mind.
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Related: How To Watch Daniel Craig's Bond Movies In Order
Cross added that while several scenes began to get more complex and build on the original script during filming, James Bond's death at the end would always be just how it was intended.
No Time To Die is the longest Bond film yet at almost three hours in length. Cross noted how "Bond movies have always been epic in scope, but this movie is also epic in time," having jumped between past and present in the pre-credits teaser.
"That was something that was always in the script: Start with a time period and get the audience thinking," explained Cross. Then, "go to a second time period, which picks up shortly after Spectre ends, and then after the main title sequence, jump five years later. This is a Bond movie that travels longer in time than any previous one."
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Critics applauded Daniel Craig's final performance as 007 when the movie was released and it went on to break records in both global and domestic revenue, even three weeks after the release.
Daniel Craig, who's considered the longest-serving Bond actor, has made a fortune from the legendary role and was voted the best James Bond of all time.
No Time To Die is in UK cinemas throughout October.
Topics: TV and Film, Daniel Craig, James Bond