A gravestone for James Bond has been erected on the small island of Kalsoy, which is part of the larger Faroe Islands located between Norway and Iceland. It was on the Faroe Islands where Cary Fukunaga shot parts of the climax of “No Time to Die,” in which James Bond (Daniel Craig) dies in a missile explosion after thwarting the villainous Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek). The island was used as the setting for Safin’s evil lair. As reported by Time Out, the gravestone is located next to the Kallur lighthouse and reads: “In Memory of James Bond, 1962–2021.”
“No Time to Die” marked the end of Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond, which also included the films “Casino Royale,” “Quantum of Solace,” “Skyfall” and “Spectre.” The decision to kill off Craig’s bond shocked moviegoers and critics, although a stinger at the end of the movie’s credits promised fans that Bond would return in the future. In addition to erecting the gravestone, Faroe Islands is also offering a James Bond Sightseeing Tour that brings guests to “No Time to Die” filming locations.
In an interview with Variety last year, Craig revealed that he always intended for his iteration of James Bond to die. Craig even pitched Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson on the idea after the Berlin premiere of his first Bond movie, “Casino Royale.”
“Everything was going well. People liked the movie. And it looked like I was gonna get a chance to make at least another movie,” Craig said. “I said to Barbara, ‘How many of these movies do I have to make?’ Because I don’t really look at contracts or any of those things. And she said, ‘Four,’ and I went, ‘Oh, okay. Can I kill him off in the last one?’ And she didn’t pause. She said, ‘Yes.’”
Craig continued, “So I struck a deal with her back then and said, “That’s the way I’d like it to go.’ It’s the only way I could see for myself to end it all and to make it like that was my tenure, someone else could come and take over. She stuck to her guns.”
“At the end of the fourth one, we wanted Daniel back and he was very reluctant,” Wilson added. “I think we thought, all of us had thought, that that was the best way to end this whole thing. Now, you know, it wasn’t unusual, because Fleming, he tried to kill him off in ‘From Russia With Love,’ and almost killed him off in ‘You Only Live Twice.’ But I think it’s the fitting way to deal with a situation where a person is risking their life all the time. Eventually, the odds catch up with you. I think Fleming saw it and I guess ultimately we came to that realization, too. It’s also emotionally very important to understand the risks that people like Bond engage in.”
“No Time to Die” grossed $774 million at the worldwide box office amid the pandemic. The movie is nominated for three Oscars, including original song, sound and visual effects.