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‘No Time to Die’ Becomes Highest Grossing Film of the Year So Far

The Hollywood blockbuster machine ain’t dead yet. No Time to Die, the 25th installment of the fan-favorite James Bond franchise, has lived up to its name by breathing life into the struggling big-budget movie industry.

The pandemic has spelled disaster for big-budget box office numbers over the past year and a half. But delaying No Time to Die’s release multiple times and promising a must-see finale to the Daniel Craig 007 era seems to have paid off. The result was a surprising movie theater success.

According to The Wrap, No Time to Die just hit the $733 million mark this weekend. That earns it the title of highest-grossing 2021 film thus far. While the numbers have slowed down significantly since the initial U.S. release in early October, the Bond film is still being shown in theaters worldwide. So we can expect that total to keep rising.

For the box-office breakdown nerds among you Outsiders, the international market accounted for the overwhelming majority of ticket sales. The Wrap reports $579 million international and just over $150 million here in the States.

The overall gross surpassed the likes of F9, the most recent installment from the Fast & Furious franchise. The Vin Diesel-led, diesel-fueled action film has hauled in $721 million to date, making it the second-highest-grossing movie of 2021.

‘No Time to Die’ Star Daniel Craig Knew How the Movie Would End More Than 15 Years Ago

No Time to Die is bittersweet for devoted James Bond fans. Part of what has made the franchise so endearing is the ever-changing nature of its title character. This Outsider is firmly in the Sean Connery camp and will defend him as the best Bond tooth and nail. But Daniel Craig is undoubtedly up there as a fan favorite. He’s done an objectively great job in the role.

But would you believe us if we told you before signing on to play the iconic character ahead of 2006’s Casino Royale, Craig knew exactly how 2021’s No Time to Die would end? Take it from the man himself. And yes, there are spoilers included in Craig’s quote below.

“When I started as Bond on Casino Royale, one of the early discussions I had with Barbara [Broccolli] and Michael [G. Wilson] was that I would like to be killed off when I am finished,” Craig told Entertainment Weekly recently.

The James Bond actor called the role a privilege. He clearly enjoyed his time working on the five 007 movies over the years.

“I’ve had the privilege of being involved in it. It was there before me, and it will be there after me. But I’ve had a chance to be part of all of this. And if you can’t get it up for a Bond movie as an actor, what can you get it up for?” he continued.