Bond’s first American director says he ‘benefitted from being an outsider’
It has taken 25 Bond films for an American director to sit in the chair and call the shots.
The honour of directing the latest film was bestowed on California-native Cary Fukunaga, who alongside the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, also wrote No Time To Die.
He told Sky News that being an American in charge of an iconic piece of British culture gave him a new perspective on the job that British filmmakers may not have had.
Fukunaga says Daniel Craig will go down as one of the best Bonds. Pic: Nicola Dove/MGM
Fukunaga said: “I was told once, for example, that if you go to a city, an outsider will see details in a city more than someone who lives there, and when I did Jane Eyre, I think I probably benefitted from being outside of the experience of seeing so many of the other adaptations of Jane Eyre that never quite made it to America.
“In terms of Bond… as much as Americans think Bond is as much theirs as Brits do, I don’t know if there’s a big difference.
“I think feel like Bond belongs to the world – but let’s just say if the film turns out well, it benefitted because I was American.”
James Bond is the longest-running film franchise in the world, with the latest marking Daniel Craig’s final outing as the spy.
Fukunaga says that the recognisable nature of the role across the globe, is just one of the reasons for its enduring appeal.
“I don’t know what other franchises have endured as long, especially with such a singular character and its interpretation of the character,” he told Sky News.
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Bond release ‘a joyous thing’
“Obviously, Bond has changed and developed over the years, but at its heart, it’s still a very recognisable role with recognisable tropes.
“I think part of what makes it so enduring is people’s first love for him, but also the way he goes about his business and how it’s changed over time.
“But he’s still a cool cat, and when he’s put in a dangerous situation, he handles it with such ease, and I think that aspirational side of it is something, especially I would say, in times of a pandemic.
“If there was someone out there that can handle things as coolly as Bond could, the world might be a more secure place.”
Lashana Lynch and Daniel Craig in No Time To Die. Pic: Nicola Dove/MGM
Talking about Daniel Craig’s legacy, Fukunaga said: “I would like to think that he’s going to be remembered as either the best or one of the best.
“And I think part of that is the benefit of having films that connect, because sometimes in previous iterations, these films felt very different – one to the other didn’t necessarily connect to previous versions.
“Daniel is from film to film to film to film – there is a sort of a logic to where he’s going on this journey, so I think it feels like a much more epic rendition of the character because those stages connect.”
No Time To Die hits cinemas on 30 September.
Disgraced US film producer Harvey Weinstein is to be tried for a third time in a sexual assault case.
A jury in New York could not reach a verdict in June against the 73-year-old who was accused of raping actress Jessica Mann, and a mistrial was declared.
Judge Curtis Farber has said he wants the new trial to happen before the end of this year.
The same jury found Weinstein guilty in June of sexually assaulting former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and not guilty of assaulting Polish former runway model Kaja Sokola the same year.
Weinstein will be sentenced for the guilty verdict in Ms Haley’s case on 30 September.
He denied all of the charges. Throughout the retrial, his lawyers insisted the sexual encounters with his three accusers were “transactional” and “consensual,” and labelled the women as opportunists.
Weinstein was originally convicted of rape and criminal sexual act by the same court in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison for the crimes.
Last year, however, New York’s highest court overturned the conviction, prompting Weinstein’s retrial this summer.
Weinstein was once one of the most powerful people in Hollywood – the co-founder of film and television production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company, who produced films such as the Oscar-winning Shakespeare In Love, Pulp Fiction, and The Crying Game.
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In 2017, a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him propelled the #MeToo movement.
Some of those accusations later led to criminal charges and his convictions in New York and California.
Before the retrial, Weinstein was also serving a 16-year prison sentence after being found guilty of rape in California in December 2022. He has also denied this charge.
Entertainment
Yungblud pays tribute to his hero Ozzy Osbourne as he opens up about ‘raw’ documentary Are You Ready, Boy?
Yungblud has told Sky News he hopes he can keep Ozzy Osbourne’s “spirit and energy” alive after performing at the metal legend’s final gig.
The singer-songwriter paid tribute to his hero at the premiere of his upcoming documentary, Are You Ready, Boy?, which he admitted had been an “uncomfortable” watch as it shows him at his most vulnerable.
It gives fans a glimpse behind the curtain during the process of recording live tracks from his fourth studio album, Idols, which topped the charts in June.
On stage at Back To The Beginning. Pic: Kazuyo Horie
Just a few weeks later, he was on stage at Back To The Beginning – Ozzy Osbourne‘s “final bow” reunion gig with Black Sabbath, held at Villa Park in Birmingham. The metal pioneer died less than three weeks later.
Yungblud, whose real name is Dom Harrison, performed a cover of Osbourne’s song Changes, and went on to release his version as a single, raising funds for the same charities as the concert.
Afterwards, Ozzy gifted him a cross which he keeps around his neck.
Ozzy on stage during his final performance. Pic: Ross Halfin
“Ozzy is everything to me, always has been,” he says. “And to be able to go on stage and honour my hero and sing that song to him, without knowing that they were his final days, was everything to me.
“I will try my best to keep that spirit and keep that energy alive. I love that guy. I got to know him personally at the end and I love that family. I’ve got nothing but love, always.”
Now, Harrison is getting ready for the release of Are You Ready, Boy?, which was filmed at the famous Hansa Studios in Berlin, the birthplace of albums including David Bowie’s Heroes and U2’s Achtung Baby!.
Are You Ready, Boy? is released later in August
Making music and all of his creative output he sees as “life or death”, he says in the film. “I mean, 100%,” he adds while on the red carpet. “I think that’s how I like to play, you know? I mean, red or black, every time.
“I love taking risks and this film is the most vulnerable I think I’ve ever been. It’s pretty uncomfortable for me to watch. I’ve seen it once, I’ll watch it tonight and probably never watch it again…
“I think in this day and age, it’s very easy for us to cut around things and make them palatable and digestible. I wanted to do something that would be raw and uncomfortable, and this is what came out.”
The film comes during an intense period for the star, who has just opened his own music venue and shop in London, and is also planning a world tour and the return of his own festival, Bludfest, in 2026.
Read more:
Metal, reality TV, and bats: The wild life of Ozzy Osbourne
Fans flood streets to pay respects to Ozzy in Birmingham
“I think it’s important for [fans] to know who I really am,” he says, of why he wanted to make the film. “I think 30 seconds on an Instagram video doesn’t quite cut it. It’s a fly-on-the-wall documentary… we didn’t have an overarching narrative at the start of it.
“I said, come with me for two weeks, roll the cameras and see what happens.”
The star also spoke about Bludfest, which he launched in 2024. The third event next year will be “bigger and better,” he says.
The festival was set up as he felt prices had become too expensive and he wanted to show it could be done differently.
“I had something to prove,” he says. “I think this festival was important… It made me sick, the price of tickets. And a lot of promoters, I don’t think, took me seriously.
“We made a massive statement and I will continue to do that. I love my community, I love my fanbase. They’re all I care about.”
Are You Ready, Boy? is out in cinemas on August 20 and 24
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