Last month, the world got a highly-anticipated first look at No Time to Die, the twenty-fifth film in the James Bond franchise. Even with an epic and action-packed first trailer, there’s still quite a lot of the film that remains a mystery, especially with regard to Safin (Rami Malek), the film’s antagonist. While that will probably remain the case until the film’s April debut, Malek did tease what it’s like to be part of such an epic project. During a recent interview with E! on the Golden Globes red carpet (via Entertainment Weekly), Malek referred to his character as “unique” and “complex” and hinted at what it’s like to face off against Daniel Craig’s James Bond.
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“He’s quite unique,” Malex explained. “He’s very complex. Daniel [Craig] calls him ‘misunderstood.’ But I had the most extraordinary time going head-to-head with [Craig]. He is a consummate professional. What was really special about that is, you see these movies, and I love the Bond films, but on day one, going out, on stage, on set, in front of the lens…I actually got a Broadway version, sitting in the front seat, watching Bond do it firsthand. It took me a second to step back and go, ‘What’s my first line again?’”
No Time to Die‘s trailer showed a bit of that antagonizing between Safin and James Bond, as well as the villain’s delightfully-creepy porcelain mask. The film, which is confirmed to be Craig’s last outing in the iconic role, will follow Bond as he has left active service and is retired in Jamacia. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
The cast of No Time to Die will also include Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, Naomie Harris, Lea Seydoux, Ben Winshaw, Jeffrey Wright, and Ralph Fiennes.
“There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not [the Bond franchise] is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women,” Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who co-wrote the script, explained in a previous interview. “I think that’s bollocks. I think he’s absolutely relevant now. It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn’t have to. He needs to be true to this character.”
“When I saw his Bond for the first time, there was a wryness to his performance that I really loved,” Waller-Bridge added. “So, I was really excited about writing dialogue for him. I mean, the script was there. It’s already there. I think it’s unfair to say that I’m writing the script.”
Are you excited to see Rami Malek appear in No Time to Die? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
No Time to Die is set to be released on April 10th.
