{"id":141550,"date":"2020-02-03T11:59:20","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T16:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/?p=141550"},"modified":"2020-02-03T12:47:22","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T17:47:22","slug":"no-time-to-die-set-visit-report-lashana-lynch-ana-de-armas-are-taking-bond-women-to-new-heights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/no-time-to-die-set-visit-report-lashana-lynch-ana-de-armas-are-taking-bond-women-to-new-heights\/","title":{"rendered":"No Time To Die Set Visit Report: Lashana Lynch & Ana de Armas Are Taking ‘Bond Women’ To New Heights"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Nearly 60 years after Sean Connery brought James Bond to the big screen \u2014 Daniel Craig is taking his final turn as the 007 agent, in his fifth and final film, No Time to Die. The BAFTA-Award nominee has brought an emotional depth to the beloved character that we haven’t seen before previously. Though his successor has not yet been revealed \u2014 No Time to Die hints at a new direction of the James Bond franchise through two of the film’s leading women.<\/p>\n

The 25th Bond film opens with the retired 007 agent living in Jamaica. However, when his old friend, CIA’s Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), summons him to go on a quest for a missing scientist in Cuba, he encounters two women. Ana de Armas’ Paloma, a CIA agent, tasked with assisting Bond on his mission, and Lashana Lynch’s Nomi \u2014 a mysterious woman who turns out to be a 00 agent.<\/p>\n

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Late last year, on a rainy day at Pinewood Studios just outside of London, BlackFilm.com sat down to speak with de Armas and Lynch on the No Time to Die set. We talked about the secrecy surrounding their characters, continuing the Bond franchise, bringing their diverse backgrounds to the story, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s imprint on the narrative.<\/p>\n

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“When I first got the part, like many franchises, I didn’t know anything about the role,”<\/strong> Lynch revealed. “I was just very excited for the franchise and the direction they were taking in casting a young Black Londoner. I like to know that I’m creating or bringing a certain level of authenticity from my culture to my projects. For them to put as much detail into both London and Jamaica — which is who I am and what I represent, excited me. It made me really trust our producers, knowing that they are continuing to take more and more steps towards representing the world that I see when I walk out of my door every morning.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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James Bond has always been a franchise that has been ahead of its time in terms of diversity. Still, seeing a dark skin Black woman standing at the center of this story has never been more important. “We have a real chance to educate the world and educate the industry on where we should be,” the Captain Marvel actress explained. “This is the time to consider what steps should be taken to represent more of the many cultures around the world, and the Black culture and the Black experience amongst different industries. I think that’s what a lot of Nomi’s story tells in this movie.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Rumors have been buzzing that Lynch will take over for Craig when he passes the torch. Though nothing has been confirmed, Lynch was happy to share her thoughts on the possibility \u2014 especially considering the backlash that is sure to come if she is named his successor. “Even though we’re making many big strides in this industry, there are still thought patterns that continue to perpetuate this idea that we’re still not ready for something that should have happened or could potentially have happened years ago,” she stated. “By being embraced by many women, many Black women, and many young girls, hopefully, I can be a shining light, a little bit of inspiration for people that had never seen something like that before. The idea is great, the idea is exciting and the idea that Idris [Elba] was maybe going to step in was thrilling. I’m here for these steps, and it’s exciting times. We’re just moving the needle more and more and more. And it’s nice to be an adult in these times where I get to experience it and remember it.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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There have been iconic and strong Bond women throughout the franchise’s history, and both Lynch and de Armas looked to women like Grace Jones to guide their steps. “There are amazing Bond women. but you can tell there’s a shift going on,”<\/strong> de Armas expressed. “Our producers understand what this situation in the world is, and what needs to be changed. They are aware of how many people follow this franchise. They’ve taken that into account without stepping away from the core and the essence of what a James Bond movie is — that fantasy and the glamor.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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With the weight of the franchise on their backs, as well as Craig’s entire Bond legacy culminating with No Time to Die, we wondered if Lynch or de Armas felt any pressure when it came to their roles in the film. “I don’t,”<\/strong> de Armas stated. “It’s fun. I feel like we have things to say, and we have a community to support. We have a responsibility, but we’re artists. We want to enjoy our job and have fun with it. It shouldn’t feel like pressure. It should feel like ‘This is awesome and I’m going to do my best, and hopefully people will love it or learn something from it.'”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Lynch expressed similar sentiments. “I never want to feel pressure,” she said. “That’s the most exhausting thing to have in this industry. You feel it, but you need to find a way to reel yourself out of it. I think that it’s important to remember why you were cast the first place. We were cast because we’re capable women who were right for the role. We’re going to give this franchise something that is special and unique and fresh. I think for me it is going to be one of the best Bond movies.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Women aren’t just present in front of the camera in this film. Emmy-Award winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge partnered with director Cary Fukunaga and writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade to write the No Time to Die script. “I could never think that I was going to be a Bond girl,”<\/strong> de Armas reflected on Waller-Bridge’s imprint on her character. “It was hard to imagine because it wasn’t reachable to get to that level of perfection. They’re all so tall and beautiful and so glamorous. That was not on my radar. But then when I read it on the page, you could easily tell that it was Phoebe who wrote that because it was so… not perfect. I thought, ‘That can be me!’ This mess going on here, I can do that if that is what it takes to be a Bond girl. Paloma is messy; she is real, and she has flaws. Whatever she thinks — she says it, and she’s not afraid of expressing if she’s nervous. She does very irresponsible things along the way. It was just so much fun to play. It’s a real woman confronting this situation and navigating the whole thing the best way she can.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Lynch also immediately noticed Waller-Bridge’s humor wit in the script. “I’ve been a fan of Phoebe’s for a long time, and the reason why I was a fan of hers is that she has a British wit,”<\/strong> she explained. “That is hard to master. There is a very front fitted sarcasm that comes with her work. The characters are very much like many Bond characters, very straightforward, very forward talking, very direct. But it is almost a bit like, ‘Did they, did they actually say that?’ You question how brazen they are sometimes. I think that goes for many of the characters. Phoebe makes you feel excited that they are representing the actual real world in the world of Bond, which is quite sharp and polished.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In addition to having the Fleabag scribe’s words to direct her as well as de Armas at her side, Lynch was also grateful to have the Bond veterans like Craig, Wright, and Naomie Harris as a guide. “It’s always a nice master class,”<\/strong> Lynch revealed. “Just being able to watch first-hand how they navigate themselves through these roles that they’re revisiting. That’s really difficult on-screen, not to repeat the same thing and to keep it fresh. It was nice to be with Naomie and absorb her energy. I learned a lot from her just by how she moves through the set and how calming she is. She has a regal, very poised, graceful energy to her. When you’re still trying to figure things out, it’s nice to latch onto that energy.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Though de Armas and Lynch weren’t able to reveal much more about their roles \u2014the Still Star-Crossed alum gave us a glimmer of what we should expect to see from Nomi moving forward. “I think she’s going to be a very inspirational and very forward-thinking person who brings a lot to her environment,” she said slyly.<\/p>\n

No Time to Die debuts on April 10, 2020.<\/strong><\/p>\n