Visit James Bond’s Grave

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To mark James Bond’s almost sixty years on film, EON Productions decided to kill him in Daniel Craig’s final Bond film, No Time To Die (2021).

Apparently, it was time to die for 007, and the decision proved an appropriate send-off for Craig.

Ending the 25th film with James Bond’s death was an unprecedented and bold move. Apparently, Daniel Craig suggested the idea in 2006 when he signed on for the role. But Bond creator Ian Fleming had toyed with killing off his creation before. The author gave You Only Live Twice an ambiguous ending that suggested Bond had died after falling from a hot air balloon. 

The novel, You Only Live Twice, served as inspiration for No Time to Die, with its inclusion of Bond’s child, Blofeld’s poison garden (which became Safin’s garden in the film), and of course Bond’s death.

In No Time to Die, Bond’s death is different to Fleming’s novel. Faroe Islands served as the backdrop for Bond’s ultimate sacrifice to protect his family from a nano-bot that will kill them. He’s vaporized in a missile attack from the Royal Navy.

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Craig never made it to Faroe Islands to shoot the ending. He filmed all his scenes in front of a green screen, while EON’s production team journeyed to Faroe Islands in Autumn 2019. With its rugged landscape, sheer cliffs, and turbulent sea, Faroe Islands proved a harsh location for the crew.

After the crew left, the local population decided to erect their own memorial to the famous British spy. Made from locally sourced stone, Bond’s tombstone sits where James Bond stood as rockets rained down on him.

The epitaph reads: “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist,” recalling the words M recited at a quiet eulogy with Miss Moneypenny, Bill Tanner, Nomi, and Q.

The passing of Craig’s Bond opened up the possibility of another hard reboot of 007 in the upcoming Bond 26.

You can visit Bond’s gravesite near Kallur Lighthouse on Kalsoy Island.

Image: Ekrem Canli/Wikipedia