12 Apple TV tricks and tips you need to start using now
Apple TV has undergone plenty of revisions since its release in 2007. The never-ending improvements have led to today, where it can hold its head high among other streaming devices like Google, Amazon and Roku.
Competition aside, Apple has made impressive strides with its latest 4K and HD models. You can enjoy TV shows, movies, live sports, games and apps. And now, with Apple TV+, there’s even more to love. Tap or click to check out some tips and tricks for getting the most out of Apple TV+.
So what could possibly improve the Apple TV user experience? How about a few lesser-known tips and tricks? Take your binge sessions up a notch or two with these helpful tips, starting with checking the batteries — yes, you read that correctly. Even battery tricks can make a huge difference.
1. To charge, or not to charge
Besides the obvious sign of not working, typical remotes require you to guesstimate whether its batteries are dead or running out. But Apple’s got you covered.
You can check your Apple TV’s remote battery level, making the guessing game a thing of the past. To view how much charge is left, go to Settings and choose Remote and Devices. You can click Remote to display the percentage of remaining juice.
2. Home sweet home
If you have HomeKit-enabled devices, Apple TV (3rd and 4th gen) can function as your smart hub.
Note: the same iCloud account is required for Apple TV and all iOS devices connected to HomeKit. While this should occur automatically, you can complete this task via your Apple TV. Go to Settings and click on Accounts. Tap iCloud. Search for HomeKit and ensure it is connected.
In addition, to help safeguard your devices, you will need to set up two-factor authentication and iCloud Keychain.
To set up two-factor authentication, open Settings and select iCloud. Tap Passwords and Security, then choose Set Up Two-Factor Authentication. Follow the on-screen steps and when you receive the verification code, enter it into the appropriate field.
For iCloud Keychain, go into Settings, tap iCloud and choose Keychain.
3. Hey, Siri
Apple TV HD and 4K both come with a Siri remote, allowing you to operate the device with your voice.
To use this feature, simply press the Siri button to search apps based on title, genre and more. The smart assistant can also provide recommendations with a quick press and release of the Siri button. Tap or click to reveal hidden Siri tips to do even more with your iPhone or iPad.
4. Switch it up
Similar to other iOS devices, Apple TV now has an app switcher, which allows you to switch between and force close apps.
To activate it, double-click on the Home button on your Apple TV remote. Once launched, use the trackpad to swipe between apps. To force close an app, center application selector on the app and swipe up.
5. Clean up
With a world of apps available, it’s easy to clutter up your Apple TV home screen. No problem, you can move or hide apps and even organize them into folders. To move an app, click and hold its icon until it jiggles. Press the Play/Pause button to hide selected apps.
Want to place an app into a folder? Select the app and press down until it jiggles. Drag and drop it on top of another app you want in the same folder.
To create a folder, highlight an app and hold it down. Press the Play/Pause button and select an option. And if you want to rename a folder, tap on it and type the new name.
6. Swipe and scrub
Have you ever scrubbed video? If not, here’s your chance. Scrubbing a video is a quick way to skip forward or backward.
With Apple TV, you simply click on the left or right side of the trackpad to skip 10 seconds forward or backward. Hit Pause before you scrub faster by swiping either direction on the trackpad. You can also ask Siri to jump back or skip ahead a specific amount of time.
7. Take control
In addition to parental restrictions, Apple TV allows you to block or limit others from making purchases or accessing graphic content.
You can filter programming based on age, language or ratings. Newer Apple TV models further provide the option to disable screen recording, multi-player gaming and more.
RELATED: Tap or click to learn about three apps to monitor your children’s online safety.
8. What did they say?
When you’re watching a show or movie, it can be annoying when the action is super loud and the dialogue is anything but. If you can’t hear what people are saying, or if they have a thick accent and you’re having trouble understanding, Apple TV can help.
Simply press down on the Siri button and ask, “What did (s)he say?” The video will rewind and enable closed captioning so you can read and hear what you missed the first time.
9. Share and share alike
Sharing purchased movies, TV shows and apps with family is made simple with the Family Sharing feature.
To access shared content, open Movies, TV Shows or the App Store and choose Purchased. Select Family Sharing and choose a family member to view their content.
10. No need to be so loud
To keep you from disturbing others with a loud television, Apple TV offers a few options. You can pair a set of headphones or reduce loud sounds. If you don’t mind subtitles, you can also change the settings and mute the TV altogether.
If you want to pair a set of headphones, put your device in pairing mode and on your Apple TV, go to Settings, then choose Remotes and Devices and click Bluetooth. The TV will search for your headset and once it detects it, simply choose it on the TV and, if asked, enter the PIN.
To soften sound effects and music, open Settings and select Video and Audio then tap Reduce Loud Sounds.
For subtitles, go to Settings and open General, then tap Accessibility and choose Subtitles and Captioning. After you turn the feature on, in this same menu, choose Style to customize the font, size and color, background color and opacity, text opacity, edge style and highlight.
11. One and done
Thanks to the Apple TV’s single sign-on feature, you no longer need to bother with logging into individual streaming apps. Provided you sign in to a supported TV provider via your Apple TV settings, you will automatically be logged into any streaming apps like ESPN and FXNow that support single sign-on.
To sign in on your Apple TV, go to Settings and open Users and Accounts. Select TV Provider and choose Sign in. Find your provider and select it, then choose the email you use for your provider’s account. If it’s not listed, choose New and enter the information.
12. Cancel, please
Who hasn’t lost track of a subscription or two (or more)? With Apple TV, you can check and cancel any subscriptions you signed up for through Apple.
Simply open Settings and select Accounts. Tap Manage Subscriptions and select the subscription(s) you wish to stop, then click Cancel. Tap or click to discover seven apps and subscriptions you’ll want to use this year.
Although Apple TV faces some serious competition, the streaming device offers a host of features worth checking out. So the next time you’re watching something on your Apple TV, try these tricks and tips to get the most from your set.
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Studio Movie Grill: Elevated Dining Delivered Right To Your Recliner While Watching A Movie
When was the last time you went to dinner AND a movie?
Studio Movie Grill, known by regulars as SMG, has made a name for themselves by being one of the first theaters to modernized the traditional movie-going experience by combining first-run movies with full-service, in-theater dining, and as a result of its popularity, more and more people are making SMG their one-stop shop for dining and movie going.
Originally conceived in 1993, the theater chain has grown to more than 333 screens in 10 states with further expansion planned in 2020. At the end of 2019 they successfully opened two new locations, SMG Glendale in Southern California and SMG Prosperity Village in Charlotte, NC.
What makes the SMG experience different is their attention to detail. The experience begins when theater guests are able to reserve their seats ahead of time and continues when they get to the theater where they can order their food during the previews and then receive their meal to enjoy while watching the film from the comfort of their reclining seat. In fact some screens even have a heated seat function and a cooling cup option so your soda stays cold!
Executive Chef Thad Kelley has been with SMG for 20 years taking classic movie theater options and elevating them with quality ingredients. He created an innovative menu that focused on delicious food that is also health conscious but also appeals to the most distinguished palates. In fact, SMG also offers vegan and vegetarian options to their patrons. Some new items that have been introduced on the menu include naan flatbread pizzas and avocado toast, but they also still offer movie theater staples including popcorn and candy. Not to mention they have a full bar and create specialty cocktails to be enjoyed like their Studio Blue ‘Rita.
SMG’s goal is to open hearts and minds, one movie at a time. They reach out to the community and changes the lives of those around them with their food focused charity initiatives. Through a program called Chefs for Children, SMG donates 5% of proceeds to local non-profits serving children with special needs when you order a specific item. At the Glendale, CA location this dish is their classic Coconut Chicken + Shrimp. They also created a program called Movies + Meals where Studio Movie Grill donates a movie and a meal to a deserving non-profit in the community. Since the creation of their Movies + Meals program in Summer of 2018, they have provided over 45,000 meals to deserving non-profits in their communities.
We spoke with Thad Kelley, the Executive Chef at SMG, about their elevated in-theater dinning menu, keeping up with food trends and of course his favorite menu item!
You have been with Studio Movie Grill for over 20 years, how has the in-theater dining experience evolved?In the beginning, SMG offered fresh and made from scratch products that included pizzas, burgers and chicken tenders as core choices. Eating in the dark, required hand held items, that our guests were comfortable with, but tended to be heavy in calorie counts and included more “comfort food” sides. Over the years, we have tested and developed many options for changing lifestyles. Fresh seafood, grilled chicken, low carbs and emphasis on reduced gluten, vegetarian and vegan options. The flavor profile has also matured from American and Southwest, to more Light Italian and Asian influences.
How does creating the menu at SMG differ from a traditional restaurant menu?SMG has been very diligent on testing our products to ensure freshness, top of class ingredients with recognizable selections. Pushing the boundaries on current trends to make craveable items for our guests. Challanging our kitchens to execute complex dishes to a large amount of guests, in a very short amount of time, with the promise of delivering a great quality.
What is the most popular SMG dish? What is your favorite?SMG has partnered with several companies to develop our own custom recipes from a seasoned, light batter chicken tender, custom blend of beef with bakery fresh brioche buns and signature pizza crusts. Our product mix will vary based on the selection of movies. In a typical shift, adult films will choose more complete appetizer and entrees, kid films will choose a combination of lighter fare and entrees, where as many of our romantic comedies will choose light calorie sharables, flatbreads and fresh salads.
My favorite item is the Coconut Chicken Tenders. SMG’s unique flavor combinations of Coco Lopez and Panko Bread Crumbs makes this dish our signature item for the Chefs for Children menu.
How is your menu changing with consumers now being more mindful about what they are eating and dietary restrictions?SMG is constantly testing and developing more low calorie, low carb, reduced gluten, vegetarian and vegan options. From our new flatbreads that include roasted cauliflower or hummus, to our new salads that have lean steak, seared salmon, ahi tuna with super greens and avocado. SMG also has used more Indian, Asian and Italian influences to introduce Naan, Forbidden Rice, Couscous, Quinoa and a vast array of new fresh herbs and vegetables.
What food trends are you seeing in in-theater dining?Though we serve great custom appetizers like potato skins or wings and entrees like Cheddar Burgers, Mac & Cheese or Pizzas, we are seeing a more health conscious guest. Seared Ahi Tuna bowls with Sesame Slaw, Mango and Edamame, Super Greens Salad with Grilled Chicken, Cucumbers, Feta Cheese and Balsamic or Flatbread Avocado Toast with Arugula, Heirloom Tomatoes and Lemon have lead the way on our newest menu. SMG has seen our guest become more complex with their choices. The guests are looking for unique flavor combinations. SMG has developed a new Fresh Mozzarella and Capicola on Naan bread pizza, instead of the traditional sausage pizza. Others include Curried Ricotta with Roasted Cauliflower or Hummus on Naan Bread with Basil and Sundried Tomato Pesto. Dried Fruit, Nuts with Brie, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with unique veggies for dipping, Roasted bbq Chicken with Roasted Sweet Onions, Mango and Cilantro are all selections that offer multiple crossovers between cultural food items. Providing items that are light, fresh, great quality and most of all….taste great.
Studio Movie Grill helps the community through their food focused charity initiatives like Chefs for Children and Movies + Meals. Why do you think it is important for SMG to support these initiatives?SMG exists to open hearts and minds, one movie at a time. This holds true with the dining experience and food selections. Being able to build a culture around how SMG can make a wake in the community, is an essential principle we take to heart. All of our Chefs help contribute every day. Being able to make our guest experience memorable through food, is a key training tool. How we purchase our products, prepare the food and execute great quality items will add to the overall movie experience. Being part of Chefs for Children and the Movies + Meals program gives our team members more of a self-reflecting purpose.
Finally, what tips can you offer first-time guests to assure they have a great SMG experience?Ask questions, try new flavors, give us feedback and enjoy your time with us.
We hope you are able to visit a Studio Movie Grill and enjoy the experience for yourself. Visit StudioMovieGrill.com for a list of locations.
‘No Time to Die’: A Rare In-Depth Interview With the Keepers of James Bond
For nearly 60 years on the silver screen, James Bond, the rakish secret agent who jets from one exotic port of call to another, romancing women and besting bad guys in the name of queen and country, has answered to one person. M, the no-nonsense intelligence chief, is the only one who can revoke the British spy’s license to kill. And even M isn’t always successful at reining in 007.
Off screen, it’s a different story. One family, the Broccolis, has long maintained an iron grip on the franchise. Thanks to a highly unique deal, they have been able to exert an unprecedented level of creative control, serving as the final arbiter on everything from the scripts to the casting to the promotional materials.
Eon Prods., the family’s company, splits profits with MGM/UA, the studio that has the right to finance and distribute all of the Bond movies.
“For better or worse, we are the custodians of this character,” says Barbara Broccoli, who oversees the franchise with her half-brother Michael G. Wilson. “We take that responsibility seriously.”
It’s an arrangement that was first hammered out by Broccoli’s father, the producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, when John F. Kennedy was president and the Twist was all the rage. Miraculously, that pact has prevailed through the decades and generations, enduring everything from corporate mergers and bankruptcies to shifting consumer tastes and geopolitical upheavals. The elder Broccoli died in 1996. but not before ceding control to his two children with the 1995 release of “GoldenEye,” a film that proved a sexist superspy, conceived by novelist Ian Fleming in the 1950s, still had a role to play in post-Cold War cinema.
Hollywood’s longest-running — and one of its most lucrative — franchises, the spy series has spawned 24 films that have collectively amassed $16.3 billion in global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation, according to a 2018 Forbes story on Bond by the numbers ($6.9 billion unadjusted, per data site The Numbers).
On April 10, “No Time to Die,” Eon’s 25th Bond adventure, will hit U.S. theaters, representing a moment of both triumph and uncertainty for the series. It serves as the culmination of Daniel Craig’s critically acclaimed, massively successful five-film run as 007; this time, after threatening to turn his back on the series for years, the star is insistent that he is finally holstering Bond’s Walther PPK for good.
“I’m in total denial,” says Broccoli. “I’ve accepted what Daniel has said, but I’m still in denial. It’s too traumatic for me.”
Broccoli, who joined Wilson in a rare sit-down interview with Variety last month, conducted in a drab Brooklyn studio far removed from the casinos, five-star hotels and villas that Bond habituates, weighs her words carefully. She’ll cast a reproachful eye at Wilson when his attempts at humor strike her as ill-considered. “Americans don’t do irony,” he notes at one point, gesturing toward his U.S.-born interrogator.
Unlike the famously chatty Bond villains who have a penchant for spilling every detail of their deadly schemes instead of concentrating on killing off 007, the plot details of “No Time to Die” are being closely held. There’s a paper-thin logline, one that states that Bond, having retired from active duty, finds himself pulled back into the world of espionage after a scientist is abducted. Neither Broccoli nor Wilson will reveal much beyond that, but they do promise that the film will tie up loose narrative threads left over from previous Craig outings.
“We have come to an emotionally satisfying conclusion,” says Broccoli.
On the press tour for 2015’s “Spectre,” Craig complained about the physical toll of playing Bond, saying that he would rather “slash my wrists” than return for another outing. After giving him time to rest and recuperate, Broccoli prevailed upon him to reconsider.
“Barbara doesn’t take no for an answer,” says Craig. “It’s not in her wheelhouse. I had a nice long break, which I really needed. And then she was just persistent and came to me with some ideas, which we started formulating, and I got excited again.”
Already, the media has begun speculating about who could step into Bond’s impeccably tailored tuxedo, with everyone from Idris Elba to Richard Madden finding himself at the center of chatter. Broccoli and Wilson insist they haven’t started to map out a post-Craig world; they’re focused on completing “No Time to Die,” an enormous, $250 million production. But they seem open to broadening the search beyond the usual suspects.
“You think of him as being from Britain or the Commonwealth, but Britain is a very diverse place,” Wilson says.
“For better or worse, we are the custodians of this character. We take that responsibility seriously.”Barbara Broccoli
There are certain things the duo appears open to considering, and other conversations that are nonstarters, when it comes to selecting the next Bond. “He can be of any color, but he is male,” says Broccoli. “I believe we should be creating new characters for women — strong female characters. I’m not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that.”
If anything, Broccoli and Wilson’s experience with Craig has emboldened them to shake up the Bond formula. On paper, the choice was shocking. Craig, with his blond hair, boxer’s swagger, creased face and gruff volatility, didn’t fit the mold. He wasn’t conventionally handsome, he didn’t smack of fine living and chateaubriand and he lacked the black or brown locks that previous Bonds, from Sean Connery to Pierce Brosnan, had all rocked — though in Connery’s case that was courtesy of a toupee. Craig’s selection was considered to be such an affront to 007 purists that websites, dubbed CraigNotBond, sprang up to decry his casting. Even the actor was surprised to win the role.
“I thought I was just on a conveyor belt of actors who go through their door,” remembers Craig. “I assumed they were just casting their net very wide. I thought I’d go and meet them and then have a story to tell friends about that time I was considered for Bond. When they suggested they were serious about me doing it, I was completely flattered but perplexed.”
It turned out, however, that Broccoli and Wilson were interested in doing something entirely different with the character. Although 2002’s “Die Another Day,” the last of Brosnan’s four-film run, had been the most financially successful movie in the series’ history with a worldwide gross of $432 million, its climax, replete with a giant space laser and an invisible car, pushed the story in a preposterous direction.
“We got too fantastical,” says Wilson. “We had to come back to Earth.”
They were also looking at a much different global situation than the one in which “Die Another Day” was conceived. “The world obviously had changed,” says Broccoli. “We’d had 9/11, and the stakes were higher, and we felt we needed a more realistic Bond.”
Martin Campbell, the director of “GoldenEye” and “Casino Royale,” says finding the right man to play a fresh version of the legendary superspy involved whittling the final list down to eight candidates. Craig, just off a red-eye from the U.S. set of “The Invasion,” was subjected to a series of screen tests. In one, he read a tense tête-à-tête in an office from “Casino Royale,” while in another he re-created a seduction scene that Connery performed in “From Russia With Love.”
“To be honest, it took me a little while to see it,” admits Campbell. “Daniel’s acting was terrific, but he wasn’t a pretty-boy. Barbara was adamantly in favor of him.” Campbell won’t say who else was considered, but one insider says Craig beat out the likes of Sam Worthington and Gerard Butler for the part. Despite the pushback, Broccoli knew she made the right call.
“He brought flesh and blood to the character,” she says. “Bond in the novel is a silhouette. Daniel has given him depth and an inner life. We were looking for a 21st-century hero, and that’s what he delivered. He bleeds; he cries; he’s very contemporary.”
Barbara Broccoli grew up immersed in the world of Bond. In 1961, as Ursula Andress rose out of the sparkling waters of the Caribbean in a white bikini while filming an iconic scene from “Dr. No,” a diaper-wearing Broccoli, all of a year old, looked on from her mother’s lap. One of her earliest memories is of being sick on a remote Japanese island during the shooting of 1967’s “You Only Live Twice.” Connery intervened, lending the Broccoli family his personal doctor. School vacations were spent at Pinewood Studios, which designer Ken Adam would transform into the high-tech lairs for various Bond adversaries; or in whichever tropical paradise or European ski resort was being featured in the 007 installment of the moment.
Bond was such a vivid part of the family’s life that a young Broccoli became confused. “I thought James Bond was a real person until I was 7 or 8,” she says. “He was always talked about, so I didn’t think of him as a fictional character.”
Wilson, who at 77 is 18 years Broccoli’s senior (his mother, Dana, married Cubby Broccoli in 1959), had a different entry to the franchise that formed the basis of the family fortune. During a break from law school, he worked as one of the extras in the climax of “Goldfinger,” playing a Fort Knox guard. When Cubby Broccoli began having tax problems, Wilson, who specialized in that issue, grew more involved.
“I was a partner in a law firm at the time, but once I came in and got a taste for it, I never looked back,” Wilson says.
From advising on legal matters, Wilson quickly moved into the creative realm. He started as an assistant to the producer on 1977’s “The Spy Who Loved Me,” becoming executive producer on 1979’s “Moonraker” and moving on to full producer with 1985’s “A View to a Kill.” He also co-wrote five scripts for the series, beginning with 1981’s “For Your Eyes Only” and carrying through to 1989’s “License to Kill.” Wilson has continued to pop up in Bond films, making cameo appearances in every installment since 1977’s “The Spy Who Loved Me,” playing blink-and-you-miss-them roles as varied as “Greek priest at wedding” and “Man in corridor when M and C meet.”
People who have labored on the franchise say that Broccoli’s and Wilson’s abilities are complementary. “They both have strong points,” says Robert Wade, who has co-written seven Bond films, from “The World Is Not Enough” to “No Time to Die.” “Barbara is very much concerned with the emotional side of the story as well as the relevance of it to now. Michael’s got a very good story brain and has a macabre dimension that allows us to keep the Ian Fleming flavor of the thing.”
Privately, those who have worked with the pair describe Wilson as “cerebral” and keenly interested in exploring the inner workings of MI6. Broccoli is viewed as more finely attuned to what’s going on in the industry. She’s also willing to go toe-to-toe with studio heads, making it clear that she’s outlasted previous regimes and will still be standing when one film czar is deposed for another.
With the cast and crew, many of whom are long-standing Bond veterans, it’s another story. The pair tries to create a familial atmosphere on set.
“Barbara never stops taking care of the crew,” says Cary Joji Fukunaga, the director of “No Time to Die.” “When I was sick, she’d make me homemade soup. And Michael is like one of those old-school coaches who takes you aside and gives you a pep talk to keep your chin up if he thinks you might be down.”
They take their conservatorship seriously, reading and rereading all of Fleming’s novels to ensure they are remaining true to the essence of the character, even occasionally pulling out a dog-eared edition on the set of a film to prove a point. They see themselves as preserving a legacy, one they hope outlives them both. “Michael once told me, ‘No one wants to make the last Bond movie,’” says Neal Purvis, who has co-written seven Bond films with Wade. “The first time we went off to start writing, he said, ‘Don’t screw it up.’”
The duo will also use its authority to nix ideas — such as a “Smallville”-like television series that would have followed a teenage Bond at Eton — or to push for casting choices: The Broccolis were able to successfully tap Eva Green as the female lead in “Casino Royale” over studio concerns that the French star couldn’t master an English accent.
They haven’t won every battle. In the early aughts, Broccoli’s ambitions to have a James Bond spinoff film focused on Jinx, the secret agent played by Halle Berry in “Die Another Day,” were foiled when MGM got cold feet about the film’s $80 million budget. That decision left Broccoli incensed. One of her main goals as steward of 007 has been to shake off some of the chauvinism that characterized Bond’s appearances in the novels and early films.
With Craig in the lead, Bond has matured. He’s not just engaged in one-night stands (though he’s had his fair share of those). He fell in love with Green’s Vesper Lynd only to have his heart broken, then embarked on a mature relationship with Léa Seydoux’s Dr. Madeleine Swann, the psychologist he first met in “Spectre.” Those ties will be strained at the beginning of “No Time to Die,” when Swann’s past returns to haunt the couple in unexpected ways. The franchise has come a long way from the time when female characters were often named after sex acts or anatomical attributes (see: Pussy Galore or Dr. Holly Goodhead).
But “No Time to Die” presents other challenges. It will be the first Bond movie released in the Time’s Up era. Issues of consent and workplace harassment have been fiercely debated since the last time Bond was on screen, launching his trademark double entendres. Broccoli says that the filmmakers were very careful to reflect the current mood and moment in their portrayal of women. Not only does Swann return, but “No Time to Die” will also include Ana de Armas as a CIA field agent and Lashana Lynch as an 00 operative — both are fully capable of holding their own in the action department.
“Bond’s been evolving along with all the other men in the world,” says Broccoli. “Some have just gotten there more quickly than others.”
“No Time to Die” is expected to dominate the box office when it opens in April, but it faced significant setbacks on its road to the big screen. Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning director of “Slumdog Millionaire,” was originally tapped to oversee the film, and had reportedly wanted to make a movie that dealt with tensions between the West and Russia. Instead, he left the project shortly before shooting was to start, with the official reason being “creative differences.” Broccoli and Wilson aren’t deviating from that line.
“It was hard on both sides because we had mutual respect and admiration, but better to know [the differences] before you embark on a project,” says Broccoli. “We worked together well for a number of months, but there came a point when we were discussing the kind of film that we wanted to make, and we both came to the conclusion we were not aligned. Movies are very hard to make when you’re all on the same page. When you’re not, it’s basically impossible; We recognized that, and in a respectful way we realized that it wasn’t going to work out.”
The film’s release was ultimately pushed back from October 2019 to April 2020, while the producers scrapped the script that Boyle had been crafting with his collaborator, John Hodge. In Boyle’s place, they tapped Fukunaga, best known for overseeing the first season of “True Detective” and the child-soldier drama “Beasts of No Nation.” Commentators were surprised that Fukunaga, who had spent the bulk of his career making dark dramas, would want to shoot a popcorn pic. But he’d been on the producers’ radar for a long time. Broccoli initially had conversations with Fukunaga about directing “Spectre” before Sam Mendes, who had helmed “Skyfall,” came on board. Later, during a meal at En, a Japanese brasserie in New York, Fukunaga asked to be considered for future opportunities.
“We talked at length about who the next Bond could be — this was before Daniel had decided to come back — and concluded it may take years to find someone else as compelling,” Fukunaga remembers. Having grown up watching the movies, he was eager to slide behind the camera. “It’s the longest-running, most iconic film franchise,” he says. “You get to travel the world, work with the best talent, the finest actors out of the U.K. and go on a real adventure. Who would say no to that?”
When production was supposed to begin on “No Time to Die,” Fukunaga was unavailable, but his dance card freed up by the time Boyle left the project. Purvis and Wade were tapped to write an entirely new script with Fukunaga, while Broccoli and Wilson enlisted “Fleabag” creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge to do a polish, punching up dialogue and working on character development. Broccoli and Wilson say they’re thrilled with what Fukunaga delivered, calling it a visually arresting adventure that follows Bond from Jamaica to Norway, with a stop in the ancient Italian city of Matera.
“He’s brought a fresh new approach,” says Broccoli. “He’s made an emotionally engaging film. It’s epic both in the emotional scale and on the landscape scale.”
Fukunaga and cinematographer Linus Sandgren pushed to have “No Time to Die” shot on film instead of digital, believing it enhanced the look of the picture. They also used Imax cameras for key sequences. These decisions were made with an eye toward boosting the theatrical run of “No Time to Die.” But the film is hitting theaters at a moment of transition for the industry. Netflix has upended the way that people consume movies, providing a direct challenge to the exhibition industry. In the process, Disney has launched a streaming service and Comcast and WarnerMedia are preparing their own subscription offerings. For now, Broccoli says Bond’s future will remain on the big screen, but she doesn’t rule out the possibility that a future 007 adventure could debut on a streaming platform.
“We make these films for the audiences,” Broccoli says. “We like to think that they’re going to be seen primarily on the big screen. But having said that, we have to look to the future. Our fans are the ones who dictate how they want to consume their entertainment. I don’t think we can rule anything out, because it’s the audience that will make those decisions. Not us.”
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