James Bond has No Time to Die, and composer Hans Zimmer doesn’t have much time to score it. The legendary composer will compose his first James Bond picture ever, which comes out in three months. Zimmer has a tight turnaround for his work on the movie. In fact, it’s tight enough that he may need some help to finish it.
Hans Zimmer, a Replacement?
Zimmer isn’t the first composer hired to score No Time to Die. Originally, Dan Romer (Netflix’s Maniac) was set to compose the movie, but according to Variety, Zimmer is replacing him. It’s a surprising change in plans given Romer and director Cary Fukanaga’s history together. Romer scored two of the filmmaker’s Netflix projects, Maniac and Beasts of No Nation. The reason for Romer’s departure? ‘Ol creative differences. What the difference in opinion between Romer and the producers was is unclear.
Zimmer’s Busy Schedule
Making this news all the more surprising is that Zimmer already has a long list of major movies to score. Currently, he’s working on Dune, Wonder Woman 1984, and Top Gun: Maverick. How he found the time for Bond is remarkable, especially since he needs to complete the No Time to Die score by mid-February. Five weeks to write and create this entire score and an additional one for a Bond movie, of all things, is a massive undertaking. No word yet on which composer Zimmer may recruit to assist him in No Time to Die.
Considering the upcoming Bond film is the last of Daniel Craig’s outings as the character, he deserves an epic sound of the likes of Zimmer. The composer is an old pro at mega-blockbusters, so there’s no reason to doubt he’ll deliver a score to remember with the next Bond pic. Zimmer will follow in the footsteps of Thomas Newman, who scored the last two Bond movies for director Sam Mendes. Newman’s score for Skyfall, in particular, is a real deal thrill. As for Zimmer, it’ll be exciting to hear what sort of music he goes on to end this series of movies.
What Else to Know About No Time to Die
The change of composers isn’t the only major change No Time to Die has undergone. At one point, Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) was the man sitting in the director’s chair with rumored plans to kill off James Bond in the end. Boyle never confirmed the death idea but did tease he had a rather bold idea for the end of Craig’s era as the character.
Ultimately, Boyle’s vision led to “creative differences” and he left the project. The producers of the Bond franchise couldn’t have found a better replacement in Fukanaga, whose remarkable eye should elevate Bond action to the next level and his firm handle on drama should end things on a high dramatic note for the character.
No Time to Die continues to look to the past of the franchise. Old characters are returning, including Felix (Jeffrey Wright) and Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). Blofeld’s introduction in Spectre landed with a resounding thud. While the classic villain looks like he has more of a cameo than a major supporting role this time around, let’s hope Waltz and the filmmakers get the character right this time.
Official Synopsis
In No Time To Die, Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
No Time to Die opens in theaters April 10.
