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Why ‘Pearl Harbor’ Director Michael Bay Takes Exception to One World Record Held by James Bond Franchise

According to The Guinness World Records, James Bond’s Spectre created the biggest on-screen explosion ever. But Pearl Harbor director Michael Bay thinks that’s “Bull S–t.”

Bay believes that his 2001 war film literally blew Spectre’s explosive scene out of the water—even though it was filmed 15 years before the 007 flick. And he made his opinion heard when he spoke with Empire Magazine this week.

For Pearl Harbor, Bay and his team created a 40-minute scene that reenacted the Japanese bombing in Honolulu. And he doesn’t believe anyone understands just how much work went into that, nor do they appreciate its effects genius.

“[Producer] Jerry Bruckheimer showed Ridley Scott the movie,” he told the publication. “And the quote [from Scott] was, ‘F—k me.’ No one knows how hard that is. We had so much big stuff out there. Real boats, 20 real planes. We had 350 events going off. Three months of rigging on seven boats, stopping a freeway that’s three miles away.” 

And furthermore, the director claims that his pyrotechnic methods are far superior to his competitors.

“There’s a special sauce for explosions. It’s like a recipe,” Michael Bay continued. ” I see some directors do it, and they look cheesy, or it won’t have a shockwave. There are certain ways with explosions where you’re mixing different things, and different types of explosions to make it look more realistic.” 

‘No Time to Die’ Could Break a James Bond Record

While we’re on the topic of explosions, remember the massive blast that appeared to kill Daniel Craig’s 007 in No Time to Die? Well, it looks like the franchise won’t end with him.

In the movie, James Bond says a sorrowful goodbye to his love, Madeline. And as the tears begin to flow, a bomb drops on him. With that, the movie ends.

And unlike every other Bond movie, No Time to Die doesn’t include a post-credits scene showing the secret agent living his best life on an exotic island somewhere. So shocked audiences around the world feared that James had finally met his maker.

But don’t worry, Outsiders. The franchise has not come to a close.

According to producer Barbara Broccoli, James Bond will live to see another Blockbuster movie. How exactly the smooth-talking gentleman (gentlewoman?) will return to the screen, she doesn’t know. Broccoli is just certain that we haven’t seen the last of 007 yet.

“We’ll figure that one out,” she told Deadline when asked how James could have possibly survived the epic blast.

“But he will be back,” she promised fans. “You can rest assured James Bond will be back.”