Last weekend marked exactly 70 years since author Ian Fleming began writing his first James Bond novel. By now, the world's most famous secret agent is on to his 25th cinematic adventure.
When the annual Oscars were handed out in Hollywood last night, the 18-year-old, multiple Grammy-winning singer Billie Eilish was due to give the world premiere of the new James Bond song. Instead, during an In Memoriam segment, she performed Yesterday by The Beatles. But the objective was achieved. Anticipation for the new Bond song only grew.
On 2 April, No Time To Die — the 25th James Bond film and the last to star Daniel Craig in the lead role — has its premiere. And until then, the publicity machine will keep rolling on without pause.
The mastermind behind it all, author Ian Fleming, born in London on 28 May 1908, could never have imagined that his secret agent with a licence to kill would become a long-running worldwide success. The first book, which he began writing exactly 70 years ago last weekend, would not be the first James Bond film adaptation. There would, however, be two versions of Casino Royale in cinemas: in 1967 as a James Bond parody starring David Niven and Peter Sellers, and in 2006 with Daniel Craig in the role of the secret agent in the service of her majesty's secret service for the first time. Many books and many films would follow, with sensational cars and breathtaking women forming a pleasant constant throughout.
THE CARS
And No Time To Die is no exception. If we look at the cars first, the famous British marque Aston Martin is once again well represented. The first time James Bond utters the famous words shaken, not stirred is also the first time he steps into an Aston Martin. That was in Goldfinger in 1964, where he drives the Aston Martin DB5, made famous by the film. After Thunderball in 1965, the DB5 went into retirement, before returning in the film Casino Royale. The Aston was also used in Skyfall and in Spectre.
James Bond's Aston Martin models in No Time To Die include, in any case, the DB5, the V8 Vantage, the DBS Superleggera and the spectacular supercar Valhalla. Like the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the Valhalla was developed in collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies. Five hundred examples will be built. Power comes from a V6 turbo engine assisted by a hybrid system. The Valhalla will have around 1,000 hp.
The Valhalla is, of course, no bargain. Interested buyers must make a down payment of 250,000 euros and will ultimately part with well over a million euros, excluding taxes. Aston Martin brings the car to market in 2021.
Whether the new Land Rover Defender can take a beating, we don't yet know. The model has only just been introduced, and at Secret Agents we haven't yet had the chance to put it through its paces. But if the stuntmen and stuntwomen behind No Time To Die are to be believed, the Defender is extremely capable. And they don't say that lightly. The footage we see here proves they didn't handle the new SUV with kid gloves.
The Land Rover Defender was chosen by the film's producers to take part in one of the film's most important chase scenes. In it we see a 110 in Defender-X specification. This car is one of the first to be made at Jaguar Land Rover's new production facility in Nitra, Slovakia.
The women
When we saw the trailer for the new Bond film, our hearts beat faster at all the action — but when the new Bond girl appeared on screen, our hearts went into overdrive. The Cuban actress Ana de Armas (31) is this time the woman at James Bond's side. And we can certainly understand why.
Ana de Armas previously appeared in War Dogs (2016) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017), which brought her a great deal of attention. Thanks to her acting talent, of course, but it was also her beautiful eyes that stood out. After a look at her Instagram, we're completely sold: Ana de Armas is the perfect Bond girl.
The French actress Léa Seydoux also makes her appearance in No Time To Die. In fact, she is the only actress to play in two Bond films as Madeleine Swann. She also appeared in Spectre in 2015 as Bond's accomplice. In 2009 she was nominated for a César for her role in the film La Belle Personne.
Léa also appeared in several major American films such as Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris and Brad Bird's Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. For their roles in Blue Is the Warmest Colour, Seydoux and co-star Adèle Exarchopoulos received the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. A woman of great substance and acting talent!
The story
And all of this is set within a story in which Bond has stepped down as an MI6 secret agent and is enjoying a less hectic life in Jamaica. The peace is soon disturbed after his old friend Felix Leiter of the CIA asks for help. The mission to free a kidnapped scientist takes an unexpected turn and leads Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain who intends to use his deadly new invention.
Finally, a quick word about our own 'Bond girls.' Bond may be the most famous secret agent in the world, but he's certainly not the most accessible. That's where our secret agents come in. And on top of that, Meir Dagan, who years ago was director of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, once said that the best secret agents in his service were women. 'They're more composed, more talented and braver than many men. Their contribution is invaluable. Believe me, they're better than men,' said Dagan. Just so you know.