Cary Fukunaga's Bond 'honor'

Cary Fukunaga feels "honored" to have directed 'No Time to Die'.

The 42-year-old filmmaker took over the helm of the upcoming James Bond movie following the departure of Danny Boyle and he's admitted it was an "incredible privilege" to tackle the spy franchise.

He said: "I am honored to be carrying the franchise forward for those who have loved the films since 'Dr. No' and for those who are discovering the series for the first time.

"It has been an incredible privilege to have worked with the most skilled actors and creative technicians in the world to bring this next instalment to life, adding some new flavours and texture while retaining that swagger and grit that is unmistakeably Daniel Craig's 007."

And Cary hopes fans enjoy both the new characters and returning favourites featured in the film.

He said: "I'm eager for audiences to meet our new characters such as Safin (Rami Malek), Nomi (Lashana Lynch), and Paloma (Ana de Armas) while we also see the return of some of our favorites, Q, M, Moneypenny, Tanner Madeleine, Blofeld and Felix, to name a few."

The director still remembers seeing a Bond movie for the first time and thinks the character has become a "cultural icon" for film fans everywhere.

Writing the foreword for Empire magazine's Bond: The Ultimate Celebration supplement, he reminisced: "You never forget your first Bond movie. I first saw 007 in the guise of Roger Moore in 'A View to a Kill'.

"I was eight years old and already captivated by the mesmerizing mixture of glamour, deftly judged humor and, of course, action.

"The clincher was Duran Duran's enduring credits song.

"James Bond is a hero that transcends childhood. 'GoldenEye' and its accompanying Nintendo game kept me and my friends up all night as adolescents, then as an adult, I watched and enjoyed all four Daniel Craig films in the cinema, as he has taken the character to previously unexplored emotional heights.

"Bond is a cultural icon, a figure that impacts every successive generation of film fans who are introduced to him."