Die Another Day

Die Another Day is a 2002 British spy film and the twentieth film in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. It was produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and directed by Lee Tamahori. The fourth and final film starring Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond, it was also the only film to feature John Cleese as Q, and the last with Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny. Halle Berry co-stars as NSA agent Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson, the Bond girl. It follows Bond as he attempts to locate a mole in British intelligence who betrayed him and a British billionaire who is later revealed to be connected to a North Korean operative whom Bond seemingly killed. It is an original story, although it takes influence from Bond creator Ian Fleming's novels Moonraker (1955) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1965).

Die Another Day marked the James Bond franchise's 40th anniversary. The film includes references to each of the preceding films. The film received mixed reviews; some critics praised Tamahori's direction, but others criticized its reliance on CGI, product placement and its unoriginal plot, as well as the villain. Nevertheless, Die Another Day was the highest-grossing James Bond film up to that time

Storyline[]

Plot[]

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is captured by North Korean agents and must serve a grueling prison sentence. He's finally released, and is convinced that someone in his own agency betrayed him. He escapes from custody and travels to Cuba, hot on the heels of Zao (Rick Yune), the agent who put Bond behind bars. Meanwhile, Bond begins romancing NSA agent Jinx (Halle Berry) as he uncovers a scheme concocted by Zao and British millionaire Graves (Toby Stephens), involving a highly destructive laser.

Genres[]

Action
Spy
Adventure
Thriller

Motion Picture Rating[]

13 (Argentina)
M (Australia)
12 (Brazil)
14A (Canada) (Alberta/British Columbia)
PA (Canada) (Manitoba)
14 (Canada) (Nova Scotia)
AA (Canada) (Ontario)
13+ (Canada) (original rating, Quebec)
G (Canada) (re-rating, Quebec)
15 (Denmark) (DVD and Blu-ray rating)
K-15/13 (Finland)
K-16/13 (Finland)
Tous publics (France)
12 (Germany)
12 (Iceland)
A (India)
UA (India) (TV)
12 (Ireland)
T (Italy) (DVD rating)
U (Malaysia)
B (Mexico)
12 (Netherlands)
M (New Zealand)
PG (Nigeria)
15 (Norway) (cinema rating)
14 (Peru)
PG-13 (Philippines)
15 (Poland) (self-applied)
M/12 (Portugal)
12+ (Russia)
PG (Saudi Arabia)
M18 (Singapore)
PG (Singapore) (cut)
15 (South Korea)
13 (Spain)
11 (Sweden)
14 (Switzerland) (canton of Geneva)
14 (Switzerland) (canton of Vaud)
14 (Switzerland) (canton of the Grisons)
15 (Thailand)
13A (Turkey) (self-applied)
12A (UK)
12 (UK) (DVD rating)
PG-13 (USA)
PG-13 (USA) (edited version)
PG-15 (United Arab Emirates) (self-applied)

Images[]

Cast and Crew[]

Director[]

Lee Tamahori

Writing Credits[]

Ian Fleming (characters)
Neal Purvis (written by) &
Robert Wade (written by)

Cast[]

Pierce Brosnan - James Bond
Halle Berry - Jinx Johnson
Toby Stephens - Gustav Graves
Rosamund Pike - Miranda Frost
Rick Yune - Zao
Judi Dench - M
John Cleese - Q
Michael Madsen - Damian Falco
Will Yun Lee - Colonel Moon
Kenneth Tsang - General Moon
Emilio Echevarría - Raoul
Michael Gor - Vlad (as Michael Gorevoy)
Lawrence Makoare - Mr. Kil
Colin Salmon - Charles Robinson
Samantha Bond - Miss Moneypenny
Ben Wee - Snooty Desk Clerk
Ho Yi - Mr. Chang
Rachel Grant - Peaceful
Ian Pirie - Creep
Simón Andreu - Dr. Alvarez
Mark Dymond - Van Bierk
Deborah Moore - Air Hostess
Oliver Skeete - Concierge
Joaquín Martínez - Old Man Cigar Factory
Michael G. Wilson - General Chandler
Daryl Kwan - General Han
Vincent Wong - General Li
Sai-Kit Yung - General Dong (as Stuart Ong)
Manolo Caro - Cuban Waiter
Sarllya - Korean Scorpion Guard (as Tymarah)
Paul Darrow - Doctor
Lucas Hare - Medic
Cristina Contes - Nurse
Stewart Scudamore - Buckingham Palace Reporter
Bill Nash - Buckingham Palace Reporter
James Wallace - Buckingham Palace Reporter
Ami Chorlton - Buckingham Palace Reporter

Other Cast (in alphabetical order)[]

Nina Armstrong - Young Woman at Sword Club (uncredited)
Alan Bond - Reporter (uncredited)
Douglas Bunn - US Marine (uncredited)
Gary Bunn - US Marine Sergeant (uncredited)
Stephanie Burns - Cameo Role (uncredited)
Lizzie Cundy - lady in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
David Decio - Mr. Kil's Personal Ice Palace Assistant / Jinx's Personal Driver (uncredited)
Anna Edwards - Ice Palace Guest (uncredited)
Alex Fung - Korean Soldier (uncredited)
David Giammarco - Jump Pilot (Cameo) (uncredited)
Lynne Hazelden - Ice Palace - TV Crew / Reporter (uncredited)
Christine Hewett - Ice Palace Guest (uncredited)
Thomas Ho - Korean Guard (uncredited)
Aiko Horiuchi - Korean Spy (uncredited)
Lea Jerova - Ice Palace Girl (uncredited)
David Knight - Maitre d' at Ice Palace (uncredited)
Tatiana Lavrentieva - Guest at Ice Palace (uncredited)
Derek Lea - Gustav Palace Guard (uncredited)
Wendy Leech - Extra at Blades (uncredited)
Justin Lewellyn - Extra at Blades (uncredited)
Madonna - Verity (uncredited)
Gerard Naprous - Old Man at Sword Club (uncredited)
Petia Pavlova - Ice Palace Party Guest (uncredited)
Catherine Porter - Ice Palace Party Guest (uncredited)
Lee-Ann Robathan - Party Guest (uncredited)
Christopher Schönning - Army Guy (uncredited)
Tina Simmons - Ice Palace Guest (uncredited)
Sherry Stone - Cuban Cigar Roller (uncredited)
Albert Tang - Korean Soldier (uncredited)
Rocky Taylor - Man at Sword Club (uncredited)
Marolyn Turk - Ice Palace Patron (uncredited)
Trevor White - Jumpmaster (uncredited)

Producers[]

Barbara Broccoli (producer)
Callum McDougall (co-producer)
Anthony Waye (executive producer)
Michael G. Wilson (produced by)

Details[]

Countries[]

UK
USA

Language[]

English

Release Dates[]

November 20, 2002 (Switzerland) (French speaking region)
November 20, 2002 (France)
November 20, 2002 (UK)
November 20, 2002 (Ireland)
November 22, 2002 (Canada)
November 22, 2002 (Spain)
November 22, 2002 (Poland)
November 22, 2002 (Puerto Rico)
November 22, 2002 (USA)
November 26, 2002 (Republic of North Macedonia)
November 27, 2002 (Belgium)
November 27, 2002 (Philippines)
November 28, 2002 (Austria)
November 28, 2002 (Switzerland) (German speaking region)
November 28, 2002 (Germany)
November 28, 2002 (Croatia)
November 28, 2002 (Israel)
November 28, 2002 (Sweden)
November 29, 2002 (Estonia)
November 29, 2002 (Finland)
November 29, 2002 (Iceland)
November 29, 2002 (Lithuania)
November 29, 2002 (Latvia)
December 5, 2002 (Malaysia)
December 5, 2002 (Singapore)
December 6, 2002 (South Africa)
December 11, 2002 (Venezuela)
December 12, 2002 (Australia)
December 12, 2002 (Dominican Republic)
December 12, 2002 (Kazakhstan)
December 12, 2002 (Lebanon)
December 12, 2002 (Mexico)
December 12, 2002 (Russia)
December 13, 2002 (Cameroon)
December 13, 2002 (Colombia)
December 13, 2002 (Ecuador)
December 13, 2002 (Thailand)
December 13, 2002 (Uruguay)
December 18, 2002 (Indonesia)
December 18, 2002 (Kuwait)
December 19, 2002 (Chile)
December 19, 2002 (Hungary)
December 19, 2002 (Peru)
December 19, 2002 (Slovenia)
December 20, 2002 (India)
December 25, 2002 (Bolivia)
December 25, 2002 (Jamaica)
December 31, 2002 (South Korea)
January 1, 2003 (Egypt)
January 1, 2003 (Greece)
January 1, 2003 (Panama)
January 2, 2003 (Czechia)
January 2, 2003 (New Zealand)
January 2, 2003 (Slovakia)
January 9, 2003 (Netherlands)
January 10, 2003 (Brazil)
January 10, 2003 (Portugal)
January 16, 2003 (Argentina)
January 17, 2003 (Turkey)
January 24, 2003 (Bulgaria)
January 24, 2003 (Denmark)
January 24, 2003 (Romania)
January 30, 2003 (Hong Kong)
January 31, 2003 (Switzerland) (Italian speaking region)
January 31, 2003 (Norway)
January 31, 2003 (Taiwan)
February 28, 2003 (Italy)
March 8, 2003 (Japan)
October 1, 2012 (United Arab Emirates) (DVD premiere)

Also Known As[]

Die Another Day (original title)
Otro día para morir (Argentina)
007: Die Another Day (Australia) (alternative title)
Die Another Day (Australia)
James Bond 007 - Stirb an einem anderen Tag (Austria)
007 - Um Novo Dia Para Morrer (Brazil)
Не умирай днес (Bulgaria) (Bulgarian title)
Meurs un autre jour (Canada) (French title)
Die Another Day (Canada) (English title)
Umri drugi dan (Croatia)
Dnes neumírej (Czechia)
007: Surra veel üks päev (Estonia)
007 - Kuolema saa odottaa (Finland)
007 - Döden får vänta (Finland) (Swedish title)
Meurs un autre jour (France)
James Bond 007 - Stirb an einem anderen Tag (Germany)
Πέθανε μια άλλη μέρα (Greece) (transliterated title)
Die Another Day (Greece)
Halj meg máskor! (Hungary)
Prapancha Veerudu 007 (India) (Telugu title)
Die Another Day (India) (English title)
Die Another Day (India (Hindi title)
डाय अनदर डे (India) (Hindi title) (transliterated title)
Die Another Day (Indonesia) (English title)
Lamut B'Yom A'her (Israel) (Hebrew title)
007 - La morte può attendere (Italy) (alternative title)
La morte può attendere (Italy)
Agente 007 - La morte può attendere (Italy) (alternative title)
007 ダイ・アナザー・デイ (Japan) (Japanese title)
Mirsti citu dienu (Latvia)
Pasveikink mirtį kitą dieną (Lithuania)
007: Otro día para morir (Peru)
Śmierć nadejdzie jutro (Poland)
007 - Morre Noutro Dia (Portugal)
Sa nu mori azi (Romania)
Умри, но не сейчас (Russia)
Умри други дан (Serbia)
James Bond: Dnes neumieraj (Slovakia)
Umri kdaj drugič (Slovenia)
Muere otro día (Spain)
Mor un altre dia (Spain) (Catalan title)
誰與爭鋒 (Taiwan)
Başka Gün Öl (Turkey) (Turkish title)
007: Помри, але не зараз (Ukraine)
Die Another Day (United Arab Emirates)
James Bond XX (UK) (working title)
Juggernaut (UK) (working title)
Nobody Lives Forever (UK) (working title)
Beyond the Ice (UK) (fake working title)
Die Another Day (UK)
James Bond 20 (USA) (working title)
D.A.D. (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
Beneath the Ice (USA) (fake working title)
Die Another Day (USA)
Otro día para morir (Venezuela)
Hẹn Chết Ngày Khác (Vietnam)

Production[]

After the success of The World is Not Enough, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson asked the director Michael Apted to return to direct. Although Apted accepted, they rescinded the offer in order to ask Tony Scott and John Woo, who both declined. Scott claims to have suggested Quentin Tarantino as director, although Wilson denies that any formal negotiations were held with him. Pierce Brosnan suggested John McTiernan, Ang Lee, and Martin Scorsese as potential choices, and informally discussed the idea of directing a Bond film with Scorsese on a flight. Brett Ratner, Stephen Hopkins, and Stuart Baird were later in negotiations to direct before Lee Tamahori was hired.

Filming[]

Principal photography of Die Another Day began on 11 January 2002 at Pinewood Studios. The film was shot primarily in the United Kingdom, Iceland, and Cádiz, Spain. Other locations included Pinewood Studios' 007 Stage and Maui, Hawaii, in December 2001. Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama, and Darrick Doerner performed the pre-title surfing scene at the surf break known as "Jaws" in Peʻahi, Maui, while the shore shots were taken near Cádiz and Newquay, Cornwall. Scenes inside Graves' diamond mine were also filmed in Cornwall, at the Eden Project. The scenes involving the Cuban locations of Havana and the fictional Isla de Los Organos were filmed at La Caleta, Spain.

The scenes featuring Berry in a bikini (designed to resemble Ursula Andress' swimming costume in Dr. No) were shot in Cádiz. The location was reportedly cold and windy, and footage has been released of Berry wrapped in thick towels between takes to avoid catching a chill. Berry was injured during filming when debris from a smoke grenade flew into her eye. The debris was removed in a 30-minute operation. Brosnan also sustained a knee injury during the shooting of an action scene in Cornwall.

Gadgets and other props from every previous Bond film and stored in Eon Productions' archives appear in Q's warehouse in the London Underground. Examples include the jetpack in Thunderball and Rosa Klebb's poison-tipped shoe in From Russia with Love. Q mentions that the watch he issues Bond is "your 20th, I believe", a reference to Die Another Day being the 20th Eon-produced Bond film. In London, the Reform Club was used to shoot several places in the film, including the lobby and gallery at the Blades Club, MI6 Headquarters, Buckingham Palace, Green Park, and Westminster. Jökulsárlón, Iceland was used for the car chase on the ice. Four Aston Martins and four Jaguars, all converted to four-wheel drive, were used (and wrecked) filming the sequence. A temporary dam was constructed at the mouth of the narrow inlet to keep the salty ocean water out and thus allow the lagoon to freeze. Additional chase footage was filmed at Svalbard, Norway, Jostedalsbreen National Park, Norway, and RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire. Manston Airport in Kent was used for the scenes involving the Antonov cargo plane scenes. The scene in which Bond surfs the wave created by Icarus when Graves was attempting to kill Bond was shot on the blue screen. The waves, along with all the glaciers in the scene are computer-generated.

The hangar interior of the "US Air Base in South Korea", shown crowded with Chinook helicopters, was filmed at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, UK, as were the helicopter interior shots during the Switchblade sequence. These latter scenes, though portrayed in the air, were actually filmed entirely on the ground with the sky background being added in post-production using blue screen techniques. Although the base is portrayed in the film as a US base, all the aircraft and personnel in the scene are British in real life. In the film, Switchblades (one-person gliders resembling fighter jets in shape) are flown by Bond and Jinx to stealthily enter North Korea. The Switchblade was based on a workable model called "PHASST" (Programmable High Altitude Single Soldier Transport). Kinetic Aerospace Inc.'s lead designer, Jack McCornack was impressed by director Lee Tamahori's way of conducting the Switchblade scene and commented, "It's brief, but realistic. The good guys get in unobserved, thanks to a fast cruise, good glide performance, and minimal radar signature. It's a wonderful promotion for the PHASST."

The satellite attack at the end of the film was at first written to take place in Manhattan, but after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks it was moved to the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Music[]

The title song for Die Another Day was co-written and co-produced by Mirwais Ahmadzai and performed by Madonna, who also had a cameo in the film as Verity, a fencing instructor. The concept of the title sequence is to represent Bond trying to survive 14 months of torture at the hands of the North Koreans. Critics' opinions of the song were sharply divided—it was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, but also for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song of 2002 (while Madonna herself won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress for her cameo). In a MORI poll for the Channel 4 programme "James Bond's Greatest Hits", the song was voted 9th out of 22, and also came in as an "overwhelming number one" favourite among those under the age of 24.

Marketing[]

Reportedly, twenty companies, paying $70 million, had their products featured in the film, a record at the time, although USA Today reported that number to be as high as $100 million.

The eleventh-generation Ford Thunderbird was featured in the film as Jinx's car, with a coral colour paying homage to a paint option for the original model, and matching her bikini. Ford produced a limited-edition 007-branded 2003 Thunderbird as a tie-in for the film, featuring a similar paint job.

Revlon produced "007 Colour Collection" makeup inspired by Jinx. "Bond Barbie" dolls inspired by the franchise were also produced, featuring a red shawl and an evening dress designed by Lindy Hemming, and sold in a gift set with Ken posing as Bond in formal wear designed by the Italian fashion house Brioni.

Release[]

Die Another Day had its world premiere on 18 November 2002 at the 56th Royal Film Performance, a fundraising event held in aid of The Film and TV Charity. The event took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were guests of honour. The Royal Albert Hall had a makeover for the screening and had been transformed into an ice palace. Proceeds from the premiere, about £500,000, were donated to the The Film and Television Charity, of which the Queen is patron.

Die Another Day was controversial in the Korean Peninsula. The North Korean government disliked the portrayal of their state as brutal and war-hungry. The South Koreans boycotted 145 theatres where it was released on 31 December 2002, as they were offended by the scene in which an American officer issues orders to the South Korean army in the defence of their homeland, and by a lovemaking scene near a statue of the Buddha. The Jogye Buddhist Order issued a statement that the film was "disrespectful to our religion and does not reflect our values and ethics". The Washington Post reported growing resentment in the nation towards the United States. An official of the South Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism said that Die Another Day was "the wrong film at the wrong time."

Reception[]

Box office[]

On the first day of release, ticket sales reached £1.2 million at the UK box office. Die Another Day grossed $47 million on its opening weekend in the US and Canada and was ranked number one at the box office. The film would compete against Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and The Santa Clause 2 during the Thanksgiving weekend. Moreover, all three films were able to defeat the underperforming animated film Treasure Planet. Later on, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Die Another Day would simultaneously reclaim the number one spot at the box office. For six months, they were both the latest films to return to the top spot at the box office until Finding Nemo joined the group in June 2003. The film earned $160.9 million in the US and Canada, and $431.9 million worldwide, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 2002. Not adjusting for inflation, Die Another Day was the highest-grossing James Bond film until the release of Casino Royale in 2006.

Critical reception[]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 56% based on 220 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Its action may be a bit too over-the-top for some, but Die Another Day is lavishly crafted and succeeds in evoking classic Bond themes from the franchise's earlier installments." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 56 out of 100 based on 43 critics, indicating "mixed and average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A−" on scale of A to F.

Michael Dequina of Film Threat praised the film as the best of the series to star Pierce Brosnan and "the most satisfying installment of the franchise in recent memory." Larry Carroll of CountingDown.com praised Lee Tamahori for having "magnificently balanced the film so that it keeps true to the Bond legend, makes reference to the classic films that preceded it, but also injects a new zest to it all." Entertainment Weekly magazine also gave a positive reaction, saying that Tamahori, "a true filmmaker", has re-established the series' pop sensuality. A.O. Scott of The New York Times called the film the best of the James Bond series since The Spy Who Loved Me. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, who gave the film three stars out of four, stated "This movie has the usual impossible stunts ... But it has just as many scenes that are lean and tough enough to fit in any modern action movie". Kyle Bell of Movie Freaks 365 stated in his review that the "first half of Die Another Day is classic Bond", but that "Things start to go downhill when the ice palace gets introduced."

Several reviewers felt the film relied too heavily on gadgets and special effects, with the plot being neglected. James Berardinelli of Reelviews.net said, "This is a train wreck of an action film – a stupefying attempt by the filmmakers to force-feed James Bond into the mindless XXX mold and throw 40 years of cinematic history down the toilet in favor of bright flashes and loud bangs." Of the action sequences, he said, "Die Another Day is an exercise in loud explosions and excruciatingly bad special effects. The CGI work in this movie is an order of magnitude worse than anything I have seen in a major motion picture. Coupled with lousy production design, Die Another Day looks like it was done on the cheap." Gary Brown of the Houston Community Newspapers also described the weak point of the film as "the seemingly non-stop action sequences and loud explosions that appear to take centre stage while the Bond character is almost relegated to second string." Roger Moore, who played Bond in earlier films, said: "I thought it just went too far – and that's from me, the first Bond in space! Invisible cars and dodgy CGI footage? Please!"

The amount of product placement in Die Another Day had been a contemporaneous point of criticism, with the BBC, Time and Reuters referring mockingly to the film using the title “Buy Another Day”. The producers subsequently chose to limit the number of companies involved in product placement to eight for the next Bond film, Casino Royale, in 2006.

Retrospective[]

Despite favour from fans who prefer Bond's more "camp" films, a comment piece in 2020 stated that it is "considered by many to be the worst entry in James Bond's canon" and compares unfavorably to The Bourne Identity (released months earlier), which "ushered in a new era of violent, gritty action-espionage movies" and gave rise to the "stripped-down, no-nonsense" Bond of Daniel Craig. It often occupies a low rank on Bond-related lists. In 2021, Yahoo! survey consisting of 2200 experts and superfans, Die Another Day was ranked as the third-worst instalment after Quantum of Solace and Spectre. The authors of the study did, however, specify that "every Bond film...is always someone's favourite".

Media[]

Die Another Day was novelised by the then-official James Bond writer, Raymond Benson, based on the screenplay by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. An effort is made to depict some of the film's more outlandish elements with more believability, in the style of Fleming's original novels' use of cutting-edge technology. So for example, the non-bodywork elements of the Aston Martin with its 'cloaking' function—the glass windows and rubber tyres—are described as having retractable covers to achieve the invisibility effect. Fan reaction to it was above average. After its publication, Benson retired as the official James Bond novelist; a new series featuring the secret agent's adventures as a teenager, by Charlie Higson, was launched in 2005. As the novelisation was published after Benson's final original 007 novel, The Man with the Red Tattoo, it was the final literary work featuring Bond as originally conceived by Ian Fleming until the publication of Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks in 2008 to mark the 100th anniversary of Fleming's birth.

Cancelled spin-off[]

Speculation arose in 2003 of a spin-off film concentrating on Jinx, which was scheduled for a November/December 2004 release. It was originally reported that MGM was keen to set up a film series that would be a "Winter Olympics" alternative to the main series. In the late 1990s, MGM had originally considered developing a spin-off film based on Michelle Yeoh's character, Wai Lin, in 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies. The spin-off Jinx was announced in December 2002. Lee Tamahori initially wanted to direct, but Stephen Frears was ultimately hired. Berry and Michael Madsen were originally going to reprise their roles as Jinx and Falco, while Jinx's lover was going to be played by Javier Bardem. Bardem would later play villain Raoul Silva in Skyfall (2012). The film would have revolved around Jinx's entry into the NSA, revealing that she had been adopted by Falco after being orphaned in a bombing and being hired by him from the RAND Corporation to do a job at the NSA as a favour. Wade described the film as "a very atmospheric, Euro thriller, a Bourne-type movie." However, despite much speculation of an imminent movie, on 26 October 2003, Variety reported that MGM had cancelled the project. MGM instead decided to reboot the James Bond franchise with the next film, Casino Royale, with Daniel Craig portraying the role of the titular character. In 2020 Berry revealed that the film was cancelled over its $80 million budget, saying "Nobody was ready to sink that kind of money into a black female action star." Purvis and Wade said that this decision was influenced by the failure of several action films with female stars, including Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life, in 2003.

Company Credits[]

Production Companies[]

Eon Productions (presents) (as Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions Limited)
Danjaq
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
United Artists

Distributors[]

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation (MGM) (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (2002) (World-wide) (all media)
20th Century Fox India (2002) (India) (theatrical)
FS Film (2002) (Finland) (theatrical)
Fox-Warner (2002) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
Gemini Film (2002) (Russia) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox (2002) (Austria) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox (2002) (Norway) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox (2002) (Sweden) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2002) (France) (theatrical)
20th Century Fox Argentina (2003) (Argentina) (theatrical)
Bontonfilm (2003) (Czechia) (theatrical)
Filmes Castello Lopes (2003) (Portugal) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
Twentieth Century Fox (2003) (Japan) (theatrical) (Far East)
Twentieth Century Fox (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
FS Film (2003) (Finland) (DVD) (VHS)
Gativideo (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
Gativideo (2003) (Argentina) (VHS)
MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (UK) (DVD)
MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Special Edition)
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (VHS)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
FS Film (2006) (Finland) (DVD) (40-disc James Bond Ultimate DVD Collection Monster Box)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (ultimate edition)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition)
FS Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD) (42-disc James Bond Ultimate Collection)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (23-disc Bond 50 edition)
FS Film (2012) (Finland) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (23-disc Bond 50)
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2016) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (2020) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (reprint for MGM)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects[]

AVC Productions (additional videographics)
Blind (computer graphics and animation)
Cine Image Film Opticals (end titles)
Cinesite (Hollywood) (visual effects)
Cinesite (motion control)
Double Negative (DNEG) (visual effects)
FBFX (Halo Hero Helmet)
Framestore CFC (visual effects and main title digital effects)
Ghost VFX (visual effects) (as Ghost ApS)
Mill Film (additional digital effects)
Moving Picture Company (MPC) (visual effects)
Plowman Craven & Associates (3D LIDAR scanning and digital modelling)
Snow Business International (snow effects)
The Visual Effects Company (motion control) (as The Mill)

Technical Specs[]

Runtime[]

133 mins

Color[]

Color
Black and White

Sound Mix[]

DTS-ES
Dolby Digital EX
SDDS

Aspect Ratio[]

2.39:1
1.78:1 (16:9 Widescreen prints)
1.33:1 (4:3 fullscreen prints, along with the film itself in open matte)

Trivia[]

Die Another Day is the first James Bond film in which Bond was captured and tortured by a foreign power.
This was also the first 007 film to take place in three Communist states - North Korea, People's Republic of China (a portion of the plot is set in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), and Cuba.
A number of items inside Q's lab appeared in previous James Bond films, including such memorable gadgets as the rocket belt, shoe with poison-tipped blade, Acrostar minijet, and the alligator boat among many others.
It has been suggested that Richard Branson was the inspiration for the Graves character.
The character Wai Lin, played by Michelle Yeoh in Tomorrow Never Dies was originally supposed to make her return, aiding Bond in Hong Kong, but no arrangement could be worked out with the actress and she was replaced by Chinese Intelligence agent (and hotelier) Chang. Wai Lin's presence is confirmed by an extra on the DVD release concerning the writing of the script: Barbara Broccoli is shown leafing through an early script, and it clearly contains lines for Wai Lin. She would have become the first lead Bond girl to make a return appearance had this happened.
On Bond's flight to London, the flight attendant who serves him a vodka martini is played by Roger Moore's daughter, Deborah Moore.
There is a deleted alternative Bond and Miranda Frost Love scene but in a Hot Tub instead of the Bedroom scene.
The magazine with the picture of Gustav Graves which Bond is reading on his flight to London is actually the real November 2002 in-flight magazine for British Airways. The magazine does in fact have an interview with Toby Stephens about playing the role of Graves.
The book A Field Guide to the Birds of the West Indies by James Bond, the ornithologist whose name inspired Ian Fleming, is picked up by Bond in a scene in Havana. Bond also claims to be an ornithologist when Jinx asks him what he does.
A few weeks before the film was released, TV news reports broke the story that Sean Connery had filmed a cameo appearance in this movie, possibly as Bond's father. The producers of the film strongly deny any such appearance had been considered, let alone filmed, so the origin of this news report remains a mystery. A decade later, the exact same rumour emerged regarding Connery allegedly appearing in Skyfall as Bond's father, that, however, was reportedly actually considered.
The title is taken from a poem by A. E. Housman: "But since the man that runs away/Lives to die another day...". However, in the context of the film the title's meaning is given in the theme song as Bond refusing to give up during his months of torture.
According to a report printed in the Daily Mirror newspaper on January 6, 2001, actor Edward Woodward (best known for his TV series Callan and The Equalizer) was being "lined up" to take over the role of M in Die Another Day (which, at the time the article was printed, had the working title Beyond the Ice). According to the Mirror article, a subplot was planned for the film which would have seen Judi Dench's M retiring.
During many parts of the movie (most notably the action sequences; i.e. the fight scene at the Cuban clinic) some of the bars of John Barry's theme from On Her Majesty's Secret Service can be heard repeatedly intertwined with the other background music.
This is the first occasion in which the lead villain is played by two different actors within the same film.
The flesh wound comment refers to the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which John Cleese co-wrote and starred in.
The supposed anti-satellite missile launch is actually footage of a Harpoon anti-ship missile being launched from a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate. No naval vessel or sea launched weapon has this capability. The footage is the same as used at the beginning of Tomorrow Never Dies.
As Bond makes his escape from the medical ship in Hong Kong Harbor, a sound cue from the very beginning of Dr. No is inserted amid the soundtrack.
Upon giving Bond the customary watch for the mission, Q remarks that this is the twentieth time Bond has had to be given a watch. This is a reference to the fact that Die Another Day is the twentieth Bond film.
Die Another Day was the first (and so far only) Bond film in which the bullet fired from Bond's Walther PPK in the gun-barrel sequence is visible.
Following the 9/11 attacks, makers of fantasy-related media scrambled to develop stories that explained why, for example, Superman was unable to prevent the attacks. Filming of Die Another Day began in December 2001, making this the first Bond film made after 9/11. The plot element of Bond having been held captive for more than a year provided a rationale for 007 not having been present for the attacks. The event is alluded to by M when she tells Bond that, since he was taken captive, "the world has changed."
M remarks that Bond had cyanide and in responds, he says he threw it years ago. Cyanide appears to be a standard for SIS/MI6 agents as mentioned in Skyfall which disfigured Raoul Silva when he chewed on it.
The book that 007 picks up from the Cuban sleeper, along with a revolver, is "A Field Guide to Birds of the West Indies", written by James Bond. Ian Fleming, an avid birdwatcher, named Bond after the author.
Pierce Brosnan disliked the gadgets and overblown effects of this movie. He suggested to the producers that the franchise go back to its more low-key, darker roots. Coincidentally, after Brosnan left, the next Bond movie was the low key and darker Casino Royale (2006), which was stripped of gadgets and extravagant visual effects and stunts.
For the sword fight, the filmmakers increased the film speed to make it look as if the actors were moving faster than they actually were.
The use of hovercraft by the North Korean Army to circumvent the minefields of the Demilitarized Zone is entirely fictional. However, the science show Mythbusters (2003) tested the concept, and found it plausible.
Pierce Brosnan's least favorite Bond movie in which he appeared.
Sir Roger Moore actively voiced his displeasure with this movie, citing the invisible car and the weak CGI as being a low for the franchise.
Theatrical movie debut of Rosamund Pike (Miranda Frost).
One of the problems the crew encountered when shooting the North Korean segments in England was that there were only two fully qualified stuntmen of Asian descent in the U.K. To get around that, they tapped local martial arts clubs for more talent.
After the release of this movie, Pierce Brosnan was approached by a man in a Dublin bar who asked to shake his hand. Brosnan complied and then cracked up when the man quipped, "That's the closest my hand will ever get to Halle Berry's arse."
While filming their love scene in Cuba, Halle Berry choked on a fig, requiring Pierce Brosnan to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
Rosamund Pike was cast five days before the start of principal photography. Her first acting on-screen was her scene opposite Dame Judi Dench, something she found to be overwhelmingly daunting.
Debris from a smoke grenade landed in Halle Berry's eye during filming. She required a thirty-minute operation to remove it.
Rosamund Pike had to leave the film set for one day to go to her English Literature graduation ceremony at Oxford University.
The ice palace took approximately six months to construct.
Q (John Cleese) says he believes the watch he gives James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) for the assignment is his twentieth. This is a reference to the fact that this movie was the twentieth James Bond movie in the EON Productions franchise.
Halle Berry's bikini scenes were shot in Cadiz, and were not sunny and warm as they appeared on-screen, but quite the opposite. Berry had to be wrapped up in thick towels in between takes to avoid catching a chill.
A spin-off was planned, featuring Halle Berry's character Jinx Johnson as the lead. Neal Purvis and Robert Wade wrote for two months, and even a director was hired (Stephen Frears). However, after the low box-office performances of other female-character-driven action movies like Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003) (they weren't failures, but they only managed to make a small profit worldwide), MGM pulled the plug on the project. Halle Berry has said that she would love to return as Jinx in another Bond movie. She has allegedly said that she would like to do it so much, she would do the role for free.
Twenty companies paid $70 million to have their products featured in this movie, a record at the time.
When Bond walks through the cigar factory, we see El Lector, the reader, reading aloud to the cigar rollers. The readers work for the factory workers to entertain and educate them while they work. The readers have been at their jobs since the mid 1800s. As of 2017, UNESCO is considering designating the profession a form of "intangible cultural heritage"
Only the second James Bond movie to feature James Bond's office. It was last seen in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969).
This is the first James Bond movie to feature an Aston Martin as the Bond car since The Living Daylights (1987). Although Pierce Brosnan drove a vintage Aston Martin in GoldenEye (1995), it is not shown to be anything other than a private car, with no special features other than a fax machine.
According to the book "The Bond Legacy", it was decided to delay production of this movie in order to have a 2002 release date, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the first James Bond movie (Dr. No (1962)) and the 50th anniversary of the writing of the first Bond novel (Casino Royale).
The frozen lake in Iceland that is the location for some car chases, does not freeze very often naturally. This is due to its closeness to the sea, and its high salt content. When the filmmakers had troubles getting the Icelandic lake to freeze properly, they considered filming the car chase scenes on ice in New Zealand. To rectify this situation, the river that links the lake to the sea was dammed, and within two days, the entire lake was frozen to a depth of over two meters (six and a half feet). Once they solved that problem, filming could take place in Iceland as planned.
For his scenes as the captive Bond, Pierce Brosnan spent three hours in make-up every day having a false beard and long hair applied.
Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have admitted that they completely misjudged what the fans wanted from the franchise, and accept the blame for the outlandish tone of this movie.
Halle Berry left the production for a couple of days to attend the 2002 Oscars, where she won Best Actress for Monster's Ball (2001).
This is the first time since 1962 (when Peter Burton played "Major Boothroyd" (Q) in Dr. No (1962)) when someone other than Desmond Llewelyn has played "Q". Llewelyn died in 1999, and John Cleese (who played "R" in The World is Not Enough (1999) was named as his successor. One of the extras in the fencing scene is Justin Lewellyn, son of Desmond Llewelyn.
In the middle of the sword fight, Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) fetches two broadswords. As he walks back towards James Bond (Pierce Brosnan), Bond kicks his épée away towards camera. This move was never planned, and just happened on the day.
Sir Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan attended the premiere, because it was the franchise's 40th anniversary. Sir Sean Connery claimed he could not be there due to filming commitments. His movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), was filmed June 28, 2002 through November 24, 2002.
Although the production went to Cuba to source locations, they were unable to shoot there, due to U.S. legislations, so Cuba was re-created in a combination of Pinewood Studios outside London, England, and Cadiz, Spain.
Although one quarter of this movie is set in Iceland, none of the main cast went there. Only the second unit and stunt crews did.
Pierce Brosnan's knee injury, which he incurred in doing one of his own stunts in the opening hovercraft segment, aggravated an old injury and caused the production to stop shooting for seven days as with him being in virtually every scene in this sequence it was impossible to film around him. This was the first time any Bond movie has had to shut down production due to injury.
The love scene between Jinx and James Bond had to be trimmed of 7 seconds to get a PG-13 rating in the United States.
When Q (John Cleese) explains how the Vanquish works, he is explaining technology that the U.S. Air Force is actually developing for use in a new "daylight" stealth aircraft. However, the "invisibility" capability is only useful at extreme distance (several miles), and would not in any way be as good as depicted on the car in this movie.
The budget of this movie, Pierce Brosnan's last Bond film, was over two and a half times the budget of his first movie, GoldenEye (1995).
Less than a month after this movie's release, U.K. fencing clubs saw an increase in the number of people interested in taking up the activity.
All of the Aston Martins used in the ice high speed chase had to be converted to four wheel drive, by a firm in Wilmslow, Cheshire, England.
Gustav Graves arrives in London to be knighted. In fact, both of Toby Stephens' parents have received this honor: Sir Robert Stephens and Dame Maggie Smith.
Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) refers to James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) at one point as "a blunt instrument." Ian Fleming, on more than one occasion, had described his idea of James Bond as a "blunt instrument wielded by a government department." In Casino Royale (2006), M (Dame Judi Dench) also described Bond as a blunt instrument.
It was the last James Bond movie to use the famous "gun barrel" sequence before a pre-titles sequence as usual. In Quantum of Solace (2008) and Skyfall (2012), the sequence was placed at the end of those movies (a radically different version of the sequence was used at the end of the pre-titles scene in Casino Royale (2006)). However, the beginning gun barrel sequence was brought back for Spectre (2015).
The movie's title song "Die Another Day", sung by Madonna, debuted in the U.S. charts on October 19, 2002, and peaked at the number eight spot. The song was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and a Golden Raspberry Award (Razzie) for Worst Original Song. Pop legend Sir Elton John called it the "worst Bond tune ever".
The North Korean sequences were deliberately bleached of color to emphasize the inhospitality of the location.
For the first time, the famous gun barrel sequence now includes a bullet zooming by after Bond fires. This idea was suggested by director Lee Tamahori.
When confronting James Bond (Pierce Brosnan), Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) says, "I know all about you, 007. It's sex for dinner and death for breakfast." The line "Death for breakfast" is the title of chapter eleven in the Ian Fleming novel "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". Other novel references: the cigarette poster of a sailor seen behind John Cleese, is referenced in "Thunderball", the basic plot is from "Moonraker", and the sheet of protective glass between Bond and M (Dame Judi Dench) references "The Man With The Golden Gun".
Filming had already begun when director Lee Tamahori decided he wanted a car chase through the ice palace set. Set designer Peter Lamont had to rebuild the set with steel girders to support the cars racing around it.
The scene where Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) first demonstrates Icarus to his party guests required the most amount of lights ever required in a British movie.
Although it ranked fifth in the box office on its opening weekend in South Korea, there was protest at the movie's depiction of Americans giving orders to the South Korean military. This movie dropped out of the top ten by its second week, and one theater in Seoul pulled it from the screens in response to the protests. Some smaller theaters that usually get second-run movies refused to pick it up.
Iceland had a noticeable increase of tourist interest in year following the premiere, mostly from people seeking to stay in an ice hotel such as shown in this movie. No such structure exists in Iceland, which is not nearly cold enough for such a building in the first place, despite its name.
In Goldfinger (1964), the original "Q" (Desmond Llewelyn) tells James Bond (Sir Sean Connery) that he never jokes about his work while introducing the ejection seat feature of the "first" Aston Martin. His successor (John Cleese) also reminds James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) that "like his predecessor" never jokes about his work while introducing the invisibility feature of the "newest" Aston Martin.
Director Lee Tamahori cut a scene where Verity (Madonna) and Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) were closer than it is shown in the movie: "I shot some moments with Madonna giving Rosamund little touches, but I didn't want to turn the film into a male fantasy thing. Madonna still has all these little looks with Rosamund, which was enough."
Icarus was originally called "Solaris", but was changed when the producers found out that Solaris (2002) was in production.
The magazine with the picture of Gustav Graves that James Bond reads on the British Airways flight is the real in-flight magazine for British Airways. Called "High Life", the edition seen was for November 2002. The magazine interviewed Toby Stephens, the actor who played Graves, about his part, and included an article on all previous Bond movies and their respective stunts.
One of the few James Bond movies to openly use alternate source music, in this case, The Clash's "London Calling". The previous movie to do this was A View to a Kill (1985), which utilized The Beach Boys' "California Girls".
The name of the hotel that James Bond visits in Hong Kong is The Rubyeon Royale Hotel: "Ruby" for the 40th anniversary of the Bond film franchise; "Eon" for EON Productions, producers of the franchise; and "Royale" for "Casino Royale", the first Ian Fleming James Bond novel.
Pierce Brosnan was very glad to rename John Cleese's character "Q", rather than "R", because his native Irish accent made it difficult to pronounce "R" with a convincing English accent.
The fuchsia crystal dress Jinx Johnson wears during the Ice Palace party was designed by Donatella Versace. Costume designer Lindy Hemming saw a similar Versace design in a fashion magazine, and requested Donatella to make one to Halle Berry's specifications.
Wai Lin, played by Michelle Yeoh in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), was originally supposed to make her return, aiding James Bond in Hong Kong, but no arrangement could be worked out with her, and she was replaced by Chinese Intelligence Agent (and hotelier) Chang (Ho Yi). Wai Lin's presence is confirmed by an extra on the DVD release concerning the writing of the script: Barbara Broccoli is shown leafing through an early script, and it clearly contains lines for Wai Lin.
The Aston Martin and the Jaguar were completely stripped of engine and running gear. These were replaced by V8 engines, four-wheel-drive kits, and four-speed automatic transmissions from Ford Explorers. This was to help them perform on ice.
Due to Desmond Llewellyn's death in 1999, it was decided R (John Cleese) would be promoted as the new Q and that the original Q had officially retired from MI6.
The hovercraft chase sequence was filmed near a working airport. Pilots were understandably nervous about seeing gunfire and explosions at an airport, so a schedule had to be worked out whereby filming could take place whenever the airport wasn't too busy.
The device used to identify James Bond in the beginning is a Sony Ericsson P800 mobile phone, making it the first appearance in a Bond movie of a smartphone. Although Bond gadgets usually precede reality by being unrealistically capable for the time when their respective movies are released, this device actually did have the potential to perform the task, had it just been given some custom programming.
Four weeks before filming began, the only parts that had been cast were the regulars, Pierce Brosnan, Dame Judi Dench, Samantha Bond, Colin Salmon, and John Cleese.
The idea of the car chase inside the Ice Palace was an idea conceived by director Lee Tamahori. He believed such a fantastic set should not be wasted, and thought they should stage a car chase through it.
It has been suggested that Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson was the inspiration for Gustav Graves.
First love scene between James Bond and Miss Moneypenny in a James Bond movie, albeit in a virtual reality sequence. The lovemaking scene with Bond and Jinx is considered to be the first time in the franchise to show 007 having sex, as opposed to a post-coital scenario. This scene had to be trimmed for the American market. Previously in the franchise, a sex scene in GoldenEye (1995) did not have Bond in it. A Bond sex scene appeared in Never Say Never Again (1983) which is not part of the official EON Productions franchise.
When Q (John Cleese) walks behind the invisible Aston Martin in the otherwise abandoned underground station, due to the light refraction effect, he appears briefly to do a "silly walk", a reference to a sketch that Cleese did for Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969).
Pierce Brosnan's final appearance as James Bond. Four years later, Daniel Craig took over the iconic role for Casino Royale (2006), adapted from Ian Fleming's book. Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli saw Batman Begins (2005), and decided to make the new James Bond darker and more realistic, and since Casino Royale (2006) was about James Bond at the beginning of his career as a British secret agent, it ruled out Brosnan in the role, and it required a younger actor for the role, and thus, Craig got the part.
Aged thirty-three, Toby Stephens was the youngest main Bond villain to date. Stephens was sixteen years younger than Pierce Brosnan, who was forty-nine at the time. This is not the first time a Bond actor was older than the main villain. In 1985, Sir Roger Moore, at fifty-seven, was also sixteen years older than his main villain Christopher Walken, who was forty-two at the time. In Moore's first outing as Bond in Live and Let Die (1973), the main villain was played by Yaphet Kotto, who was thirty-four, being the first Bond villain actor to be younger than the Bond actor. Brosnan has been older than all of his main villains, except for Jonathan Pryce in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).
Tang Ling Zao (Rick Yune) ("The Man Who Never Smiles") is the first Korean henchman to appear in the franchise since Oddjob in Goldfinger (1964).
A huge 160,000-watt light array, which took a week to construct, was used for the Icarus demonstration scene.
The translation of the conversation between the North Korean soldiers in the first scene is "What the hell is the taste of this cigarette? I can give you Chinese tobacco."
Rick Yune's diamond-encrusted make-up took three hours to apply.
The opening surfing sequence was shot off the coast of Maui on Christmas Day 2001.
Pierce Brosnan was unavailable to screentest potential Bond Girls, so Colin Salmon stepped into his shoes.
Toby Stephens played James Bond in seven BBC Radio adaptations of Ian Fleming Bond novels: Dr. No (2008, opposite David Suchet as Dr. No), Goldfinger (2010, opposite Sir Ian McKellen as Goldfinger and Rosamund Pike as Pussy Galore), From Russia with Love (2012), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (2014), Diamonds Are Forever (2015), Thunderball (2016) and Moonraker (2018).
Second unit director Vic Armstrong had trouble finding stunt drivers who were able to handle a hovercraft.
Miranda Frost was originally named "Gala Brand", which was the name of the female lead in the novel "Moonraker".
Bond has suits and shirts made in Hong Kong by his "usual tailor". This is a reference to Diamonds Are Forever (1971), where Bond tells Tiffany he knows a good tailor in Hong Kong.
Until the release of Casino Royale (2006), this was the highest-grossing James Bond movie.
Contains the biggest explosion ever on film outside of America.
The seemingly endless stream of information about this movie appearing in the press led casting director Debbie McWilliams to joke that someone must have been going through her garbage.
Location manager Simon Marsden had to negotiate long and hard with the appropriate authorities to secure permission to film Gustav Graves' parachute jump over Buckingham Palace. His negotiations were further complicated by the death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The action was shot at first light, before the regular crowds of tourists would have made it impossible.
Desmond Llewelyn had hoped to reprise his role as Q in this movie. Following his death, John Cleese's "R", from The World is Not Enough (1999), became the new Q.
The Jaguar driven by Zao is not a production car, but only a prototype, supposedly showcasing the next generation XKR. The design was changed, however, so the car in this movie will never see production.
The futuristic weapon that Colonel Moon (Will Yun Lee) used during parts of the chase after the opening sequence really existed when the movie was made, at least in prototype form. It's a Heckler & Koch O.I.C.W. (Objective Individual Combat Weapon), a weapon developed as the future's infantry assault rifle as part of the U.S. Army's "Soldier 2000" program. It consists of a grenade launcher mounted on top of a "regular" 5.56mm (.223) caliber assault rifle, as well as a digital camera within the optic sights. This digital camera is supposed to be linked to a display within the soldier's helmet, enabling him to look and shoot around corners, as well as transmitting live footage of a combat situation to his troop commander or a higher superior.
Following her Best Actress win at the 2002 Oscars, Halle Berry became the first Academy Award winner to be a leading Bond Girl in the EON Productions film franchise, winning her award while shooting this movie. Kim Basinger, who played Domino in the unofficial Never Say Never Again (1983)) won her Oscar for L.A. Confidential (1997) long after she had been a Bond Girl. Dame Judi Dench (M) also has an Oscar from Shakespeare in Love (1998).
Another reason why this movie didn't go down well with South Koreans was a lovemaking scene set close to a statue of Buddha.
Halle Berry wasn't the only member of the cast and crew to do well at the Oscars during filming. Sound recordist Chris Munro also won the Oscar for Best Sound for his work on Black Hawk Down (2001). The award was presented to him by Halle Berry.
The U.K. premiere was in the Royal Albert Hall in London in presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The final showdown between James Bond and Gustav Graves originally took place in an indoor beach resort in Japan. Director Lee Tamahori changed it to a plane.
When director Lee Tamahori was brought on board, he demanded several changes to the script, most notably adding the CGI kitesurfing stunt sequence. Some of his more risqué suggestions, such as having a dozen PVC cat-suit clad girls chasing Bond back to his car at the Ice Palace, were dropped from the final cut.
Pierce Brosnan is the only James Bond to have a gadget filled car from Q in all of his movies. Sir Sean Connery had one (the Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965)), Sir Roger Moore had one (the Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and For Your Eyes Only (1981)) and Timothy Dalton had one (the Aston Martin Vantage Volante in The Living Daylights (1987)). He is also the only Bond to have an Aston Martin in all of his movies. He has the DB5 in his first three movies. (It is visible via an infrared imaging camera at the end of The World is Not Enough (1999)).
As this is the 40th anniversary film of the franchise. The 40th anniversary is a ruby milestone, that's why the title logo of the movie is red.
The ice chase sequence, which lasts just over two minutes on-screen, took four weeks to film, with the cars doing no more than twenty miles per hour, being filmed with under cranked cameras, so that when the film was projected at normal speed, the cars would seem to be going at high speed. Close-ups and control filming was done on sets created in an airship hanger in England.
The Ice Palace was inspired by the real-life Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Kiruna, Sweden. Producer Barbara Broccoli first saw a photo of it in a magazine while travelling on a plane, and thought it would make a good set piece for a Bond movie. The location is two hundred kilometers (one hundred twenty-four miles) north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden. Ice hotels, or similar structures like an Ice Palace, Ice Museum, Snow Castle, or Ice Castle have existed in Norway, Finland, Canada, Romania, and Russia, but such a building has never existed in Iceland, where some of the ice palace footage was shot.
First James Bond movie where both of the leading Bond Girls have been nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award: Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl (2014), and Halle Berry for Monster's Ball (2001), with the latter winning.
The date for the theatrical opening in the U.S. coincided with the 39th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. A 1960 Playboy Magazine interview with Kennedy, in which he said he read the James Bond novels, is credited for boosting Bond's popularity, leading to the making of the movie franchise.
The route diagram on the station wall in the unused tube station, where Q introduces Bond to the new Aston Martin, indicates that the station is on the Piccadilly line, and that the next station is Hyde Park Corner, followed by Knightsbridge, et cetera. Reference to the current tube map, suggests that this station is Green Park (the station before Hyde Park Corner). However, there is a real unused station on the Piccadilly Line between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner. It was called Down Street, and was closed in the 1930s. It was used during the war as temporary Cabinet War Rooms, and later by the Railway Executive as offices. Even today, much of the internal infrastructure is complete, but it could not be used in the way shown in the film, because although the station is closed, the tracks through it are still in normal daily use by Piccadilly line trains.
The literal translations of some of this movie's foreign language titles include: "Death Can Wait" (Finland and Italy); "A New Day To Die" (Brazil), "You Die in Another Day" (Portugal); "Another Day To Die" (Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela); "Death Comes Tomorrow" (Poland); "Don't Die Today" (Czech Republic); "Die Another Time" (Hungary); and "Die, But Not Today" (Russia).
Gustav Graves' diamond mine and giant greenhouse was partly filmed at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England, and a re-creation at Pinewood Studios, which housed five thousand plants. They had to be watered twice a day.
Trailers for this movie were played at screenings of Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), due to an out-of-court settlement amongst MGM, Danjaq, and New Line Cinema. All promotional materials (including on-line trailers) bearing the movie's original title were withdrawn in late January 2002. MGM and Danjaq, which control the James Bond license, obtained a cease-and-desist order from the Motion Picture Association of America arbitration panel on the grounds that New Line Cinema was attempting to trade on the James Bond franchise (specifically Goldfinger (1964)) without authorization. The matter went to arbitration, and the movie was known briefly as "The third installment of Austin Powers" until the matter was settled on April 11, 2002. MGM agreed that New Line Cinema could use the original "Goldmember" title, on condition that it had approval of any future titles that parodied existing Bond titles.
The movie set a new record for merchandising, with $120 million worth of deals, with twenty-four various companies for product placement and/or tie-ins. These include: Aston Martin Vanquish, Jaguar XKR convertible, 2003 James Bond Edition Ford Thunderbird, and Ski-Doo snowmobile; Bollinger champagne, Finlandia vodka, Heineken beer, 7-Up, and Ty Nant curvy PET bottles; Revlon cosmetics 007 Color Collection; Brioni suit tailoring; Electronic Arts video game Nightfire (2002); British Airways and Samsonite luggage; Mattel 007 Barbie Collector's Edition set; Omega Seamaster Swatch watches; Philips Electronics Philishave Sensotec and Norelco Spectra shavers; Kodak cameras; Vodaphone and Sony Ericsson mobile phones; VISA credit cards; Energizer batteries; Philips heart rate monitor; Sony security systems, television cameras, and laptop PCs; and retail outlets Circuit City and Best Buy. These promotional deals covered all but $20 million of the production budget.
Vehicles featured include: a silver Aston Martin V12 Vanquish; a Russian Antonov An-124 airplane; Jinx's drives a red 2003 coral Ford Thunderbird in Iceland; 007's drives Raoul's brown and white Ford Fairlane in Cuba; Zao's green Jaguar XKR for car chases in Iceland; two Switchblade Gliders, a.k.a. P.H.A.S.S.T. (Programmable High Altitude Single Soldier Transport); a Sunseeker 48-50 speedboat; an Ilyushin Il-76 airplane; Gustav Grave's Ice Dragster; a black Notar MD-600N helicopter for an escape from the Antonov; Osprey Hovercraft; and black and yellow Bombardier Ski-Doo MX ZREV snowmobiles.
Graves' plane was a twenty-foot wide model that was controlled by a computer. When the plane flew through the Icarus beam, engineers cut the plane away piece by piece, so that it looked like it was burning and falling apart.
Originally planned to be shot on the beach in Cádiz, the final love scene was filmed in a specially created "Buddhist" temple on the West coast of Wales. The appearance of religious artifacts in the love scene later caused a publicity storm.
The fictional abandoned station on the London underground, where Bond meets M, Vauxhall Cross, is a reference to the address of the real MI6 Headquarters in London, located at 85 Vauxhall Cross.
According to director Lee Tamahori, his fourteen-year-old son was more interested in the female torturer than in meeting James Bond.
Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould ensured that no part of the real forest in Iceland was destroyed by explosions. The trees his team used were unsold Christmas trees.
The final James Bond film of the franchise featuring the recurring actors and actresses playing their characters. Apart from Dame Judi Dench, who continued to play M in the next three films of the franchise, along with Daniel Craig's James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), and Skyfall (2012). Even though Dench managed to play her character for a decade more than the other recurring actors and actresses playing their characters, since they've all played their first part together in GoldenEye (1995).
Some location filming took place at "The Eden Project" near St. Austell, Cornwall, England, in the first week of March 2002.
While many of the stylistic elements of the Pierce Brosnan-era James Bond movies ended with this, his final film in the franchise, several survived to the Daniel Craig movies. The movie's two most prominent product-placement agreements, with Ford (and its Premier Automotive Group, which then included Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo) as well as Omega watches, remained in the subsequent two Craig movies. It's also the only Brosnan movie in which BMW vehicles are not featured; Ford snapped up the product-placement rights primarily to showcase its significant number of new models introduced near the time of this movie's release, in particular the "invisible" Aston Martin Vanquish Bond drives. The Vanquish marked the beginning of a new era for Aston Martin after years of languishing; infused with Ford's capital, and designer Ian Callum's widely acclaimed new look, the Vanquish was a critical and sales success. Its appearance in the movie earned it the number three spot on the list of Best Film Cars Ever compiled by a British magazine. Also, Ford had acquired the two highest-volume British auto manufacturers, Jaguar and Land Rover, and wanted to feature their vehicles in this movie as well. The oldest Ford clearly visible, is the 1957 Fairlane convertible that Bond drives in Cuba. Finally, Jinx Johnson is briefly seen driving the one American car Ford wanted featured, its retro-styled (and ultimately short-lived) Thunderbird.
Sequences featuring a North Korean beach were partly filmed at Holywell Bay near Newquay, Cornwall, England over several evenings in February and March 2002. The local Holywell surf hut was transformed into a North Korean pill box, and a small forest of pine trees were planted in the dunes behind to mimic a remote shore.
The large hovercraft in the pre-title sequence is a British-made Griffon 2000TD.
The casting of Halle Berry as the lead Bond Girl drew headlines around the world, but necessitated further late changes to the structure of the story. This is most apparent during the Ice Palace scenes where James Bond yo-yos in and out of the villain's lair, breaking Albert R. Broccoli's rule of "never going back to the same place twice."
After the shooting M in the VR shootout, Q says to Bond "Forgive my mentioning 007 but a perfect marksman isn't really supposed to shoot his own boss." and Bond's reply to Q "Check the replay. You'll find he's dead and she's only got a flesh wound." in reference to John Cleese's character the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) who says, "its just a flesh wound."
Will Yun Lee plays a character named Colonel Moon. There is a James Bond novel by Kingsley Amis, written (under the pseudonym Robert Markham) shortly after Ian Fleming's death, titled "Colonel Sun". It was Amis' only Bond novel. The full name of Colonel Moon is Colonel Moon Tan-Sun, making the connection to Amis' novel even more explicit.
The main poster was the first in the history of the James Bond franchise to feature a Bond Girl, Jinx, photographed as prominently as Bond. This was presumably because Halle Berry won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role the same year this movie premièred in theaters, and thus had an exceptionally high profile at the time. (Nonetheless, only Pierce Brosnan received above-the-title billing on the poster or in the movie. As contractually mandated by EON Productions for all Bond movies starting with GoldenEye (1995), the actor portraying Bond is listed on the first actor "card" in the credits, immediately followed by a second card reading "as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in", followed by a third card listing the movie name.)
The last of six movies (as of 2015) to feature the main villain in the pre-title sequence. The others are Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Licence to Kill (1989), and GoldenEye (1995).
Although the base is portrayed in the movie as a U.S. base, all of the aircraft and personnel in the scene are British in real life.
First time that James Bond sports a beard in a James Bond movie. Pierce Brosnan is shown having more than just a few day's growth after being held captive for a considerable amount of time. The closest shave prior to this was the James Bond send-up OK Connery (1967), where Sir Sean Connery's brother Neil Connery had a beard spoofing his brother's James Bond image.
During the theatrical run of Spectre (2015), a special event was organized titled "The Black Women of Bond". It starred Miss Moneypenny actress Naomie Harris from Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015), who is the first black British actress in the franchise, as well as Halle Berry (Jinx from this movie), Gloria Hendry (Rosie Carver from Live and Let Die (1973)) who was Bond's first African-American love-interest, and Trina Parks (Thumper from Diamonds Are Forever (1971)) who was the first major black Bond Girl. The event was hosted by the African-American Film Critics Association at the California African-American Museum, as a tribute to the Black Women of Bond. Not present at the event were Nicaise Jean-Louis (One of Drax's Girls from Moonraker (1979)), Grace Jones (May Day from A View to a Kill (1985)), and Sylvana Henriques (The Jamaican Girl from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)), the first Black Bond Girl.
According to the book "The Bond Files", a U.K. actors' strike potentially threatened filming during December 2001. However, EON Productions allegedly struck a deal with the U.K. Actors' Equity Union, which meant that production could proceed regardless of the outcome of the dispute, had it not been resolved.
One of the $216,000 Aston Martin Vanquish cars was written off by a stuntman when he lost control during the chase across a frozen lake in Iceland.
Paul Darrow, known for playing Kerr Avon in Blake's 7 (1978), plays Bond's doctor. He is the grey-haired man in the white coat, seen in the scene in which Bond is traded, and when Bond is drugged and taken away on a stretcher.
The painting that gets slashed during the swordfight between Bond and Graves is a reproduction of Thomas Gainsborough's famous "Blue Boy" from 1770. The original "Blue Boy" hangs in the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. The reproduction was hand-painted by Lyons Corner House Fine Art Reproductions in London, England.
The V12 engine in the Aston Martin Vanquish was switched with a small block Ford V8 to make room for machine guns, et cetera. The six-speed sequential transmission was also changed to a three-speed automatic transmission.
Along with Skyfall (2012), this is the only James Bond movie to feature four Oscar-winning or Oscar-nominated actor and actresses: with winners Dame Judi Dench and Halle Berry, and nominated John Cleese and Rosamund Pike.
When Pierce Brosnan learned that the Aston Martin Vanquish (launched during production) was chosen by the producers to be featured in this installment, he asked the producers through his agent, Fred Specktor, whether he could have a replica of the car. After being told that it could be agreed, they wrote an amendment to Brosnan's contract on paper (at Brosnan's insistence) that he gets the car in lieu of a portion of his salary. Three months after filming wrapped, the car was delivered to his Malibu residence. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the Woolsey wildfire disaster in November 2018 save for two custom plaques bearing his name.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor screentested for the role of Miranda Frost.
Editor Christian Wagner is the first non-English editor to work on a James Bond movie.
Only five cars in this movie do not belong to either Ford or Ford's Premier Automotive Group (Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo). There are two Ferrari F355s, a Porsche 911, a Mercedes-Benz SL, and a Lamborghini Diablo. All of these cars (except possibly the Mercedes-Benz) get damaged, destroyed, or dropped out of the back of a plane. It is also worth noting that none of the other manufacturers' cars are examples of the latest models, whereas Ford is using all of its latest, or prototype models.
Zao is not a Korean name. However, it is a Chinese name, and North Korea and China have been friends for many years. So, it's possible that someone emigrated from China to North Korea, married, had a son, and named him "Zao".
In the love scene between James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike), Bond puts his gun under the pillow. In Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Paris Carver (Teri Hatcher) asks Bond if he still sleeps with his gun under the pillow.
Shortly before this movie opened in the territory, a Twentieth Century Fox Korea spokesmen anticipated the ill feeling towards this movie, and said: "There are some misunderstandings about the movie. The enemy described in the movie are extreme nationalists, not North Koreans." But Lee Tamahori poured fuel on the fire by saying: "To hell with North Korea. It's a basket-case country, and the sooner its leaders all roll over and die, the better." This caused the Secretariat of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland to issue a statement calling for an end to the screenings, and saying the movie was a "dirty and cursed burlesque aimed to slander North Korea and insult the Korean nation." Korean-American actor Rick Yune tried to quell the controversy by saying: "The enemy in the movie is not North Korean, but the individual he plays." He also went on to say that "the movie has nothing to do with Bush's characterization of North Korea in January 2001, as part of an 'axis of evil', because the story was written four years ago." Meanwhile, south of the border, a national boycott was attempted, on the grounds that the movie depicted South Korea as a U.S. colony, and activists claimed boycotting the movie was necessary in order to protect national pride.
The switchblade scenes, though portrayed in the air, were filmed entirely on the ground, with the sky background being added in post-production using bluescreen techniques.
According to a report printed in the Daily Mirror newspaper on January 6, 2001, Edward Woodward was being "lined up" to take over the role of M in this movie (which, at the time the article was printed, had the working title "Beyond the Ice"). According to the Mirror article, a subplot was planned for this movie, which would have seen Dame Judi Dench's M retiring.
The DVD reveals that James Bond initially saw "R" as an "interloper", only awarded the proper title of "Q" after "R" has proven himself.
Filmed on the West coast of Iceland at the end of the largest glacier in Europe. The chase between the skidoos and dragsters were amongst the most difficult to film, due to severe weather. Unprecedented rainfall resulted in the lake not being frozen over as was expected, so the surfaces weren't solid enough to support the weight of cars, cameras, cranes, and support vehicles. The crew had to wear survival suits under fleeces, and long johns, and even the vehicles were fitted with floatation devices so that they wouldn't sink. Just as the production team was about to look for another location, the lake started to freeze over. The skidoo and dragster chases took a week to film, and the day after shooting finished, the glacier started to melt.
Toby Stephens does not appear until 49 minutes into the film.
The locations depicted in this movie (North Korea, Cuba, and the Hong Kong SAR Region of China) are the remaining vestiges of Communism. The Hong Kong setting featured a Chinese Agent from the People's External Security Force (which was first seen in Tomorrow Never Dies 1997)) although the Hong Kong SAR has a separate legal system as opposed to mainland China. The setting of James Bond movies in Communist countries was featured in Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) (Red China), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), and For Your Eyes Only (1981) (Moscow, Albania), Octopussy (1983) (East Germany and East Berlin), A View to a Kill (1985) (Siberia), The Living Daylights (1987)(Czechoslovakia and Soviet-occupied Afghanistan), GoldenEye (1995) (Arkangelisk, Soviet Union during the pre-title teaser), and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) (Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Ha Long Bay, Vietnam).
When Jinx throws her knife during the fight in the plane she hits an edition of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War".
Pierce Brosnan's final appearance as James Bond in a movie. The role was taken over by Daniel Craig for Casino Royale (2006). Brosnan's final appearance as Bond with his voice and likeness was in the Bond video game Everything or Nothing (2003).
The Royal Charity World Premiere of this movie was held on November 18, 2002, at London's Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, London, England, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The venue was transformed into an ice palace for the night. The Gala Charity Premiere Benefit was also the The Royal Annual Film Performance of 2002, the 56th, and the first for a Bond movie. It was also the second to be resided over by Queen Elizabeth II, who had attended the premiere thirty-five years earlier for You Only Live Twice (1967). The Gala Charity Premiere Benefit was held in aid of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (C.T.B.F.), of which the Queen is patron. A parallel premiere was also held on the same night at London's Leicester Square's Empire UCI Theatre.
Jinx Johnson says to James Bond, "I'm so good", and he responds, "Especially when you're bad." This is a nod to the famous line by Mae West, "When I'm good, I'm bad. When I'm bad, I'm better."
As always with the James Bond franchise, several rumors anticipated the making of this movie. Some said that former President Bill Clinton would play the part of a politician, and that the whole movie would be shot in Ireland, as a kind of tribute to Pierce Brosnan's homeland. In these rumors, the plot would be about the kidnapping of the British Prime Minister in Dublin, and the villain would be an American, played by Kevin Spacey. Of course, none of this gossip was proven true. Published reports in 2001 indicated that Whitney Houston was being considered for the role of Jinx. At the pre-production stage, Saffron Burrows and Salma Hayek were considered for roles. It was also rumored that Sir Billy Connolly was asked to play the part of a villain in the teaser sequence, but turned it down. According to television news reports on November 11, 2002, Sir Sean Connery filmed a cameo as James Bond's father. However, this has been denied by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, who later said on record it would be pointless to spend the money and effort to get Connery, and then not use his scene. Some other rumors said that the movie would be called "Beyond the Ice" or "Final Assignment". Despite that, one rumor that linked director Brett Ratner to the production was true, but the producers preferred a non-American director.
Due to Philips products being known as Norelco in the U.S., the Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care (DAP) unit of Philips, provide Bond shaving with a Philishave Sensotec shaver in non-U.S. prints and a Norelco Spectra shaver for the U.S.
In his flight back to England from Cuba, James Bond is reading in-flight magazine "High Life". There is a caption that says "Diamonds Are Forever, but life isn't". Diamonds Are Forever (1971) was the seventh movie in the James Bond film franchise by EON Productions, and the final EON movie to star Sir Sean Connery as MI6 Agent James Bond 007.
First of four movie collaborations (to date, October 2016) of cinematographer David Tattersall and Pierce Brosnan. The others being The Matador (2005), The Foreigner (2017), and Lessons in Love (2014).
Pierce Brosnan used a Walther P99 with a fake suppressor and custom-made leather holster. Ten of these models were supplied by Bapty U.K., all in the same serial number range. Serial #B8041837, B8041841, B8041852, B8041854, B8041861, and B8041868.
The first Bond movie to be released on a 2-DVD pack.
Some of the actresses mentioned during the production as potential Bond Girls were Catherine Zeta-Jones, model Kelly Brook, and dancer Jean Butler.
Pierce Brosnan and Rosamund Pike appeared in The World's End (2013) and A Long Way Down (2014).
Part of the car chase on the glacier was done digitally, since it involved millions of tons of ice and tidal waves, it was too dangerous to involve cast and crew.
The knife which Jinx uses to cut the fruit while in bed with James is the Speed Lock II, model number 110106, manufactured by Böker Germany.
The first James Bond movie released internationally under MGM's new deal with Twentieth Century Fox.
Brett Ratner, Stuart Baird, and Stephen Hopkins were candidates at various times to direct the movie. Pierce Brosnan reportedly lobbied the Broccolis to hire Ratner, but they didn't like his previous work and nixed the idea. Brosnan later worked with Ratner on After the Sunset (2004)
This movie takes place in November 2002.
Jan de Bont and Bryan Singer were all other possible candidates to direct before Lee Tamahori were hired, but they both turned down because they were all busy committing to other project.
Although Halle Berry is often rightfully credited as the first African-American Bond Leading Lady (not just playing a supporting character like Gloria Hendry and Trina Parks in previous Bond films), her character, Jinx, is actually supposed to be a Latina. This was revealed in a 2002 men's magazine article about the film's development. This is supported by the fact that Jinx's real name is Giacinta and she is introduced in Cuba where Bond is supposed to think she's one of the locals. Also, Jinx's last name was originally Jordan - a surname that has Latin and Spanish influences. However, this was changed to Johnson in the final film. Reportedly, Salma Hayek was initially considered for the role.
While the film negative went through the traditional photochemical printing process, the entire first reel, including the opening pre-title sequence, was digitally graded instead. The digital lab (Framestore CFC) also worked on the Hovercraft battle sequence, creating a gritty look with enhanced explosions through to Bond's eventual release from captivity, as well as a key sequence that would normally have required sky replacements.
This is not the last movie of the original timeline, despite reports to the contrary, because in Casino Royale (2006), even though the producers used the first Ian Fleming story, Dame Judi Dench reprised her role as "M" as a continuation of this movie, and continued to play the part for two more movies.
Numerous villains and henchmen in the James Bond universe have had a "Mr." title moniker. The Mr. Hinx henchman (Dave Bautista) and Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) characters appeared in Spectre (2015). Spectre (2015) also featured a henchman called Mr. Guerra (Benito Sagredo). Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) appeared in three Daniel Craig James Bond films: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), and Spectre (2015), the most Bond films for any henchman type character after "Jaws", who appeared in two Bond movies. In Dr. No (1962), there was a henchman called Mr. Jones (Reggie Carter); in Goldfinger (1964), there was a henchman called Mr. Ling (Burt Kwouk); in You Only Live Twice (1967), there was a villain called Mr. Osato (Teru Shimada); in The World is Not Enough (1999), there were two: Mr. Bullion (Goldie) and Mr Lachaise (Patrick Malahide); in Die Another Day (2002), there was a henchman called Mr. Kil (Lawrence Makoare); in Live and Let Die (1973), as with its source Ian Fleming novel of the same name, the archvillain was called Mr. Big, but in the film version he was also known as Dr. Kananga, with the character's real full name in the source book being Buonaparte Ignace Gallia; in Diamonds Are Forever (1971), there was Mr. Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith), who functioned as a buddy-team henchmen double-act; in Ian Fleming's novel of "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1962), the villain's employer was Mr. Sanguinetti, but this character does not appear in the movie.
The name of the flying activity that James Bond performs to escape from the vehicle stranded on the iceberg cliff is known as kite-surfing.
Only Pierce Brosnan James Bond movie to not feature the classic Aston Martin DB5. Although he does not drive it in The World is Not Enough (1999) (except in a deleted scene), it is visible via an infrared imaging camera at the end of that movie
Olivia Williams turned down the role of Miranda Frost.
The Ice Palace took four months for the interior to be created and was inspired by The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarh in Sweden. The floors were painted with slick paint to appear icy. A hydraulic platform enabled Jinx's bedroom to sink and fill with water.
The book that 007 (Pierce Brosnan) takes down from the shelf before posing as an ornithologist, was the actual book where the name James Bond came from, A Field Guide to Birds of the West Indies, once owned by Ian Fleming who was an amateur bird watcher.
The uniforms which James Bond and Jinx Johnson wear in the climax action sequence have small tags in Korean which says, "Changcheon 1(il) dong dae". It means these are uniforms of the Republic of Korea Reserve Forces of Changcheon-dong in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, part of South Korean Armed Forces.
Sequences where James Bond travels in First Class aboard a passenger plane, and where he holds onto the front wheel of the plane as the landing gear deploys, and finally walks from the aircraft after it has landed, were filmed in March 2001 in British Airways engineering bases at Heathrow Airport, using greenscreens and a fan. They were cut from the final movie.
Live and Let Die (1973) was the first James Bond movie to feature the word "die" (or a variation of it) in the title. Later movies in the official film franchise were called Die Another Day (2002), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and No Time to Die (2020). The theme song for Quantum of Solace (2008), by Alicia Keys and Jack White was called "Another Way To Die", and Licence to Kill (1989) referenced death, as did the title of Ian Fleming's short story "From a View to a Kill" (1960). Several post-Fleming James Bond novels have had titles that have referenced fatality. These include "Win, Lose or Die" (1989), "High Time to Kill" (1999), "The Facts of Death" (1998), "Trigger Mortis" (2015), "Nobody Lives for Ever" (1986), and "Never Dream of Dying" (2001). Also, "Double or Die" (2007) and "A Hard Man to Kill" (2009) are the names of a Young James Bond novel and short story, respectively.
A video game tie-in was planned, but never made. However, a "Die Another Day" mission is included in the James Bond video game 007 Legends (2012).
The Switchblade was based on a workable model called "P.H.A.S.S.T." (Programmable High Altitude Single Soldier Transport). Kinetic Aerospace, Inc.'s lead designer, Jack McCornack, was impressed by director Lee Tamahori's way of conducting the Switchblade scene, and commented, "It's brief, but realistic. The good guys get in unobserved, thanks to a fast cruise, good glide performance, and minimal radar signature. It's a wonderful promotion for the P.H.A.S.S.T."
The novelization was written by Raymond Benson, based on the screenplay by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. Like the movie, the novel also featured many references to past James Bond movies and novels. A few months after its publication, it was announced that Benson was retiring as the official James Bond novelist, and Ian Fleming Publications (owners of the Bond literary franchise) announced that the series was going on hiatus. A new series of Bond novels by Charlie Higson was launched in 2005, although these books focus on Bond's adventures as a teenager. As a result, the novel for this movie is, for the time being, the final literary adventure featuring Bond as originally conceived by Ian Fleming, although the publisher released another "adult Bond" novel to coincide with the 100th Anniversary of Fleming's birth in 2008, "Devil May Care". One of the speed chases in the movie over the ice glacier, has inspired the chase in the same type of destination in The Fate of the Furious (2017), The Fast and the Furious franchise has been inspired by Bond, since they derived the tankers of gas from Licence to Kill (1989), and blowing up the house with a package from Shaw, from Skyfall Lodge blowing up.
Jinx Johnson's (Halle Berry's) medical file at the DNA Replacement Clinic names her as Jacinta Jordan and born in 1973, making her 29 years old. Berry turned 36 in 2002.
The first James Bond movie to feature two cast members who won Oscars prior to the movie's debut (Dame Judi Dench and Halle Berry). The second was Skyfall (2012), which featured Dench and Javier Bardem (who won an Oscar for his performance in No Country for Old Men (2007)).
Will Yun Lee's credit appears after his role in this movie has been completed.
Zao is the first Bond villain to have his own specially adapted car, a Jaguar XKR.
At one point, Michael Bay was asked to direct, but he turned down to direct Bad Boys II (2003) instead, because the producers are unable to secure an American director.
James Bond says the title of the movie in this.
Miranda Frost may have been an influence behind the character of Miranda Tate in The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
South Korean actor Cha In-pyo turned down the role of Colonel Moon.
In 2018, Rosamund Pike said that her audition was incredibly uncomfortable because she was asked to take her clothes off. She refused. She said, "My first audition was for a Bond film and I remember them saying I was to drop my dress and appear in my underwear. On the day, I don't know how I got the resolve and strength of mind, but I just thought 'Actually sod that, if they're gonna see me in my underwear, they better give me the job.' So, I thought, 'There's no way I'm going to take off a dress in the audition for this tape to be sent around Los Angeles and to be judged on that."
There were Active Duty US Marines who took part in multiple scenes in the movie (prisoner exchange and helo hangar).
Lizzie Cundy's debut.
Alleged working titles included "Cold Fusion", "Black Sun", and "Beyond the Ice". The ice theme forms a major part of this movie's marketing, yet no such icy wording formed the movie's eventual title. Several James Bond stories evoke snow, cold, or ice. These include the 1984 James Bond comic "Polestar", and the John Gardner James Bond novels "Icebreaker" (1983) and "Cold" (1996), and episodes of James Bond, Jr. (1991) are called James Bond Jr.: Avalanche Run (1991) and James Bond Jr.: The Thing in the Ice (1991).
The Mission 4 game level in the later James Bond video game 007 Legends (2012) is based on this Bond movie.
The later James Bond video-game 007 Legends (2012) featured an over-arching story-line inspired by six story-lines from six different James Bond movies of which one of these was 'Die Another Day' (2002). Each individual story represented one of the six actors who had played Bond in the official film franchise at the time. These were: Goldfinger (1964) - (Sean Connery), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - (George Lazenby), Moonraker (1979) - (Roger Moore), Licence to Kill (1989) - (Timothy Dalton), Die Another Day (2002) - (Pierce Brosnan) and Skyfall (2012) - (Daniel Craig). However, the likeness of James Bond in all of the missions was that of Daniel Craig.
Though she had a major role in this Bond movie, the character of Miranda Frost does not at all appear nor is even mentioned in the "Die Another Day" game level (Mission 4) in the later James Bond video game 007 Legends (2012).
The likeness of Bond Girl Jinx Johnson in the later James Bond video game 007 Legends (2012) was not based on Halle Berry, who played her in Die Another Day (2002), but was based on the likeness of Gabriela Montaraz.
Following the VR shootout Bond joins Q in a store which contains a lot of old gadgets but the shoe with knife in it that bond activates was actually a used by Rosa Klebb a Russian and not made by MI6
Toby Stephens reprised his role as Gustav Graves in the video game 007 Legends (2012).
André Schneider auditioned for a small part, but wasn't chosen in the end.
Now Playing Podcast reviewed Die Another Day. This film received one "recommend" and two "not recommends".

Connections[]

Follows[]

Dr. No (1962)
From Russia with Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)
You Only Live Twice (1967)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Live and Let Die (1973)
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Octopussy (1983)
A View to a Kill (1985)
The Living Daylights (1987)
Licence to Kill (1989)
GoldenEye (1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
The World is Not Enough (1999)

Followed by[]

Casino Royale (2006)
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Skyfall (2012)
Spectre (2015)
No Time to Die (2021)

Edited into[]

Omega 'Die Another Day' Television Commercial (2002) (Video) - The Omega TV advert is edited from the trailer/feature film.
Ford Limited Edition 007 Thunderbird 'Die Another Day' Television Commercial (2002) (Video) - This Ford limited Edition 007 Thunderbird TV advert is edited from the trailer/feature film.
Jaguar XKR 'Die Another Day' Television Commercial (2002) (Video) - This Jaguar TV advert is edited from the feature film / trailer.

References[]

Vertigo (1958) - Jinx jumps backwards from heights of the Castillo de San Sebastián to the sound of Vertigo like score
Dr. No (1962) - Jinx (Halle Berry) walking out of the sea in a bikini, wearing a white belt and a diving knife. The synthesizer sounds from the opening credits play when Bond escapes the MI6 hospital. The gun that Jinx has to surrender to Miranda on-board the plane is a Beretta Cheetah. In Dr. No (1962), the Armorer remarks to 007 that the Beretta made a good woman's pistol. During the "Kiss Of Life" scene, David Arnold's film score includes samples of the same electronic sounds heard in the gun barrel sequence of Dr. No (1962). In that film, Bond asks if the government house sent him a car. He uses the name "Universal Exports" in order to be patched through. In this movie, Bond claims he is from Universal Exports, asking about the Delectados (cigars), in order to gain access to the contact in Cuba.
From Russia with Love (1963) - The shoe with the poison-tipped blade is seen in Q's station laboratory. There is a knife concealed in a briefcase. In the ice palace sequence, there is a game board (the chess match). Enemy spies are behind a one-way mirror in a hotel room with cameras. Graves' engineer is seen holding the Icarus control, and petting it like a cat. When they first meet, Jinx tells James her name, and adds, "My friends call me Jinx." Bond replies, "Mine call me James Bond." In From Russia with Love (1963), Tatiana Romanova introduces herself, and adds, "My friends call me Tania," and Bond gives the same reply.
Goldfinger (1964) - Jinx is nearly cut with a laser in Mr. Kil's laboratory. The rest of the fight scene is also a tribute. Bond once again drives a gadget-laden Aston Martin, specifically with a passenger ejector seat. The new Q comments that, as he learned from his predecessor, "I never joke about my work, 007." The scene where Bond and Graves fence for money, only to see Bond up the stakes for one of Graves' diamonds, is suggestive of the golf match between Bond and Auric Goldfinger. The golf match had originally been for money, until Bond throws down a gold brick to "up the stakes". Bond is threatened with death in a depressurizing plane. Bond and Jinx receive electric shocks from a villain, Oddjob was killed by electrocution. In the pre-title sequence, Bond removes a wetsuit to reveal ordinary clothes underneath.
Thunderball (1965) - The jet pack in Q's workshop. Bond uses a pen-like underwater breathing system. After Bond comes through the window of the medical facility in Cuba, he grabs a few grapes, as he did before making his exit from a room in the medical center in 'Thunderball' (1965).
You Only Live Twice (1967) - A large bell is rung with a large log in an Asian country. Scenes of the Icarus unfolding in space, are shown on screens in the Ice Palace. Jinx descends from the ceiling of the fake diamond mine on a rope system similar to that of the ninjas in the volcano crater lair. The name of the ship Bond is on: the H.M.S. Tenby. The use of Japanese swords in the films. Bond's death is faked (or exaggerated) in both films to free up 007's maneuverability.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - "OHMSS" written on a CD on Moneypenny's desk as she types a report at the end of the film. Bond escapes from another huge avalanche. During the ice field car chase, the score references the opening to this movie's theme. Just as Zao escapes from the Cuban clinic, a few notes of the theme music from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) can be heard.
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - While fencing with Bond, Graves says, "Well, diamonds are for everyone." Much of the plot involves diamonds and smuggling them. A large satellite is uncovered in space and has the power to harness the sun's rays and project them as a fine laser to destroy any given target. In the "High Life" magazine article for Gustav Graves' diamond company, the caption at the bottom says, "Diamonds are forever, but life isn't." A villain changes his appearance. One character calls another "Bitch!" in a single line.
Live and Let Die (1973) - The laser causes row upon row of explosions across a vegetated area, in this case, detonating thousands of land mines, and is reminiscent of the destruction of Kananga's poppy fields. Bond uses a revolver like he used on the island of St. Monique (in lieu of his traditional Walther-made pistol).
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) - The corridors in the secret area of the Gene Technology Department, in the Cuban hospital, contain rotating mirrors and objects, much like Scaramanga's fun house. The field office of MI6 is on a ship in Hong Kong Harbor. Bond retrieves a diamond from Jinx's navel (bullet in the belly dancer's navel). There is a solar-powered superweapon.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - Gustav Graves uses a Union Jack parachute. The Ice Palace resembles, in some ways, Stromberg's Atlantis hideout. When Madonna's character is introduced, a few bars of "Nobody Does it Better" is heard.
Moonraker (1979) - Colonel Moon's hovercraft falls down by a large waterfall in a manner similar to Jaws' boat going over the Iguaçu Falls. Bond surfaces in a bubbling pool of water surrounded by much interior vegetation, similar to the scene with the giant python in Drax's headquarters. Both movies have characters named Chang. Bond's sword fight with Graves is much like the fight with Chang in the glass factory. Bond and a villain fight over a parachute.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
For Your Eyes Only (1981) - The scene as Bond hangs onto the ice cliff (before it collapses) resembles the climax near the monastery, especially as the rope slips and Bond drops some distance further down the cliff, although this time, it was all performed from a vehicle. The yellow diving helmet in Q's lab.
Octopussy (1983) - The crocodile submarine and the AcroStar MiniJet are visible in the background in Q's station laboratory. Upping the stakes on a bet with the villain. Jinx's backward fall to escape, echoes Magda's exit from Bond's suite. Q's coil of "magic rope" being kept on the lowest shelf in the Q lab, along with the five-pointed knife.
Never Say Never Again (1983) - James Bond's watch also contains a powerful laser in 'Never Say Never Again' (1983).
A View to a Kill (1985) - Bond is suspended over a cliff on the wire and hook, much like the Russian guard in the Siberian chase. The hatch from the back of the car is used much like the ski from the snowmobile. Graves watches over the destruction that he wreaks, from the front windows of his aircraft in the same way that Zorin watched Silicon Valley from his aircraft before it flooded. The electronic snooper is in Q's lab. Bond's cover is blown by his picture being taken and run through a facial recognition program.
The Living Daylights (1987) - Cars exit the rear cargo hold of the plane. Bond's Aston Martin had retractable spikes in the tires controlled by a switch labelled "traction". When Bond is driving Graves' rocket car, he drives through a patch of trees, and the outriggers are sheared off, just as the outriggers on the Aston Martin are sheared off by trees in 'The Living Daylights' (1987).
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Licence to Kill (1989) - The plot idea of Bond going renegade, although this time it is less through choice. M rescinds Bond's licence to kill. Bond uses a rifle as a sniper. When Bond disarms the Chinese "masseuse", she has her weapon concealed in exactly the same fashion as Pam Bouvier. A projectile misses Bond's car when it passes underneath. The hanging yellow laser controller in Kil's lab is the same as the one that operates the trap door over the shark tank in Krest's warehouse. Bond puts the Alvarez Clinic ticket inside his right jacket pocket, and later pulls it out of the left one. In 'Licence to Kill' (1989), Bond puts his airplane ticket first into his inner left jacket pocket, only to inexplicably remove it later on from his inner right jacket pocket.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Speed (1994)
Braveheart (1995)
GoldenEye (1995) - Bond's watch contains a laser, which he uses to cut through a section of ice, reminiscent of his escape from the train by cutting through the floor. Jinx sets the timer for the bomb at the gene therapy lab in Cuba to three minutes, the same three minutes that Bond set the timers for in the chemical weapons lab and later Trevelyan set the timers for on the bullet train. Bond is betrayed by a fellow Agent. A man is killed by a falling ice chandelier, reminiscent of Trevelyan's death in 'GoldenEye' (1995). Bond says to Jinx that "the cold must have kept you alive". In 'GoldenEye' (1995), Bond tells Natalya Simonova that being cold is what keeps him alive. The opening title sequences feature a gold eye that opens. Jinx makes a dive from the DNA compound wall into the sea, which is very similar to Bond's dive from the dam in 'GoldenEye' (1995). The U.S. command bunker in South Korea has computer monitors suspended from the ceiling, looking very similar to the monitors suspended from the ceiling in the Severnaya control room in 'GoldenEye' (1995).
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) - Jinx throws a knife straight into a guard's throat just as he comes through a door. This is similar to a scene on the stealth ship, where Wai Lin sticks a shuriken throwing star into a guard's throat, just as he finds her (this scene is deleted from the 12-rated 'Tomorrow Never Dies' (1997) UK releases on VHS and DVD). Remote control car. Jinx descends on grappling lines, reminiscent of Wai Lin's entrance and escape. Bond escapes by being tethered and running down a wall similar to Wai Lin's escape. There is a fake headline on Miss Moneypenny's computer. In the pre-credits sequence in North Korea, Bond jumps onto a hovercraft and spins round firing missiles, much like the pre-credits sequence of 'Tomorrow Never Dies' (1997), where Bond spins a military jet and uses its guns and missiles. A Chinese character is called Chang. The footage showing a ship launching the anti-satellite missile, is exactly the same footage used in the opening scene of 'Tomorrow Never Dies' (1997), where the ship launches a cruise missile against the terrorist camp. Bond's car "speaks" with the same voice in both films.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Analyze This (1999)
The Matrix (1999)
The World is Not Enough (1999) - Bond dives over Graves as they fence to do a forward roll as he lands, in a manner similar to the shoot-out between Renard's men and him, where he dives through a closing door and rolls to the other side. As Bond dives to safety from Colonel Moon's flamethrower on the hovercraft, the shot of his dive from in front, is almost identical to another scene where Bond is diving from an exploding bomb with Christmas. The use of a geodesic dome.

Referenced in[]

Madonna: Die Another Day (2002) (Music Video) - Title song music video for this James Bond movie; Madonna re-enacts the interrogation scene and fencing.
Omega 'Die Another Day' Television Commercial (2002) (Video) - Promotional tie-in television commercial with the movie. The picture's title logo is seen at the end of the commercial.
Shanghai Knights (2003)
The Italian Job (2003)
S.W.A.T. (2003)
The Incredibles (2004) - In Die Another Day, the villain's parachute sucks him into a jet turbine. In The Incredibles, the villain's cape sucks him into a jet turbine.
Stormbreaker (2006) - A millionaire is working for the British government, purportedly to aid their country, but is secretly planning to bomb it and kill millions.
Flushed Away (2006) - "Die Again Tomorrow" in Roddy's DVD collection
Marks and Spencer James Bond 'Die Another Day' Television Commercial (2006) (Video) - Reworking of the snow skidoo and Ice Hotel sequences from this James Bond film.
2012 (2009) - Expensive cars fall out of the back of a crashing Antonov.
Skyfall (2012) - Bond is intimidated by a scorpion (albeit of a different species than in the former film) during a bar game.
Spectre (2015) - Mr. Hinx henchman has name that rhymes with Jinx; Character tormented by a high-tech device
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) - In 'Kingsman: Inside the Golden Circle' (2017) (V), Matthew Vaughn confirms that Halle Berry's Ginger is modeled after her Jinx from this Bond movie.
No Time to Die (2021) - Appearance of a Delectado cigar. Cuba setting. Shot of bells ringing. A portrait of the former M played by Judi Dench hangs in the MI6 office. Title similarity: 'Die Another Day' and 'No Time To Die' basically have the same kind of meaning. Bond strings a wire between two objects to unseat a rider.

Spoofed in[]

Marks and Spencer James Bond 'Die Another Day' Television Commercial (2006) (Video) - Over the top reworking of the snow skiddo and Ice Hotel sequences from this James Bond film.