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| Author | Tom Linay |
No film grabs the UK public’s imagination like a Bond film. Each film is a genuine cultural event that gets the whole country talking and with almost five years since the release of the last Bond film, SPECTRE, No Time To Die is set to be the most eagerly anticipated in years. Add to this it’s also Daniel Craig’s last outing as the world’s most famous secret agent and you have the recipe for what’s certain to be the biggest film of 2020 and one of the biggest films of all time – joining Skyfall and SPECTRE on the list.
We believe it to be the biggest AV opportunity of 2020 and for any brand hoping to be part of the cultural conversation next year it’s not to be missed. It’s obviously expected to deliver huge numbers of admissions – almost 11m across the industry, but who goes to see Bond films? Of the biggest franchises currently in cinemas, Bond plays older than Star Wars and Avengers – SPECTRE was 87% 18+, compared to 84% for Star Wars: The Last Jedi and 74% for Avengers: Endgame. The audience is more upmarket too, with the ABC1 profile of SPECTRE 75%, the biggest of all the mega-blockbusters. In terms of TVRs, few AV specials in 2020 can compete, with No Time To Die expected to deliver 27 16-34 TVRs, 27 ABC1 Adults TVRs and a whopping 32 ABC1 men TVRs. The audience is made up of light television viewers too - 70% of SPECTRE’s cinemagoing audience were light commercial TV viewers – making Bond a great complement to the wider AV plan (Source: GB TGI Q2 2016).
Bond has always had a long history with brands too, and it’s already been announced that Land Rover’s new Defender will feature in the film, expected to appear alongside the classic Aston Martin. Bond has always been popular with alcohol and fashion brands and, if the early teaser posters are anything to go by, No Time To Die will be no different. He’s also been the subject of one of the greatest video games of all-time in Goldeneye. Anyone of a certain age will think very fondly of that landmark in gaming.
While we don’t know too much about the new plot, at the start of this new story, Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived however, 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. Since Dr. No in 1962, Bond villains have been some of the greatest adversaries in cinema and Rami Malek, fresh from his Oscar win, plays Safin and looks like he’ll be a formidable foe. Unusually, a villain returns from the previous instalment too, with Christoph Waltz expected to reprise his role as Blofeld. A top rated director is marshalling proceedings too. Cary Fukunaga directed the BAFTA nominated The Beasts Of No Nation and directed the entire first season of True Detective, one of the best TV shows of the 21st century, which also featured arguably the best action sequence ever seen on television. Imagine what he can do with a Bond sized budget? Also, and very excitingly, Phoebe Waller Bridge (Fleabag) is on script duties so expect sharp one liners and drama from both the male and female characters, one of which is played by Ana De Armas, who can currently be seen in the brilliant Knives Out.
It's a heady cocktail (shaken, not stirred) and one of the most mouth-watering prospects of 2020. For any brand looking to align with the biggest brand in cinema, it’s the biggest AV opportunity of 2020.
Watch the trailer below: