No Time to Die's 163-minute runtime looks to conclude Daniel Craig's portrayal of the iconic James Bond in spectacular fashion, as the film will officially be the longest in the entire franchise. Despite the runtime's split reaction among fans, Oscar-winning star Rami Malek believes that the film will be worth every minute.
Sitting down with Digital Spy ahead of the film's big theatrical release, Malek gave insight into No Time to Die's lengthy runtime, claiming it to be worth everyone's time. "People have heard that the running time is a little bit longer than most Bond films, but I'll tell you, from start to finish it is a gut punch every second," he shares. "I think when you get out of that theatre, you will be moved, you will be entertained, you'll get everything you want from a Bond film, essentially. Daniel's just done a marvelous job, [it's] a great send-off for him."
Craig's Bond films are no strangers to longer runtimes. Other than Quantum of Solace's surprisingly short 106-minute runtime, each of Craig's other Bond films all clocked in around the 145-minute mark. No Time to Die's 163-minute runtime is fitting since this will be Craig's last outing as James Bond, and it also makes sense given that blockbuster films like Avengers: Endgame proved audiences will not lose interest if a film's runtime is nearly 3 hours long.
Malek, who will play the film's main antagonist, Safin, also opened up about his character, claiming that he is a very formidable foe for Bond. Malek feels that it will be up to the audience to determine whether or not Safin contains underlying layers that make him a more compelling villain. "There's something quite meticulous about how he goes carrying out his specific will, so to speak. I thought, 'Do I detach in the way that Safin can detach and make it pure evil?'" Malek adds. "I guess, from a viewer's perspective, you'll be able to decipher that for yourself. Maybe you'll recognize some vulnerabilities there and perhaps you'll just see a man who is quite malicious and evil." Malek will join the worthy villains of Craig's Bond era such as Mads Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre and Javier Bardem's Raoul Silva.
The film will follow the British Spy's mission to track down a missing scientist and save the world from a ruthless villain's advanced technology. No Time to Die will have its global premiere on September 28th and its international release on September 30th, long after its very demanding and challenging production filled with countless delays and script rewrites. Originally slated to release in November 2019, the film was pushed back to April 2020 due to director Danny Boyle's departure. After director Cary Joji Fukunaga hopped on board to helm the blockbuster, the film was then delayed again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the film being confirmed as Daniel Craig’s last Bond film, fans can expect an epic conclusion filled with some of the franchise's most thrilling action sequences and some memorable performances from Craig and Malek.
No Time to Die will also star Léa Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann, Lashana Lynch as Nomi, Ana de Armas as Paloma, Ben Whishaw as Q, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, Christoph Waltz as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and Ralph Fiennes as M.
No Time to Die is set to release in theatres in the U.S. on October 8th, 2021.
Source: Digital Spy