Summary
Die Another Daydirector Lee Tamahori reveals that a returningJames Bondcharacter almost appeared in the film, but the actor turned it down. Serving asPierce Brosnan’s final outing as 007,Die Another Daywas released in 2002, following the character as he attempts to take down a diamond mogul attempting to build a devasting satellite weapon. The film, which proved to be a divisive swansong for Brosnan’s Bond, features supporting characters played by Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike.
In a recent interview withCinemaBlend, Tamahori reveals that Brosnan was almost joined by a previous “Bond girl” inDie Another Day.According to the director,Michelle Yeoh was being eyed to reprise her role as Wai Lin from 1997’sTomorrow Never Dies, but she actor turned it down. Check out Tamahori’s full comment below:
So lots of modifications went on, but yes Michelle Yeoh was supposed to come back into the picture, and in a not substantial part, but for the Hong Kong sequence. And we went out to see her, we went out to have a meeting with her in Hong Kong, and she turned it down. She didn’t wanna play a small part. … After Crouching Tiger [Hidden Dragon] and all that, she had moved on in stature.
Should Michelle Yeoh Have Returned For Die Another Day?
Wai Lin’s Return Would Have Been More Of An Extended Cameo
Generally speaking,Die Another Daywas not well received. The film currently sports a lackluster 55% critics score and 41% audience score onRotten Tomatoes, with the film ultimately proving too ridiculous and far-fetched. Despite the negative response from viewers,Die Another Daywas a box office hit, earning an impressive $432 million worldwide.Tomorrow Never Dieswasn’t really a critical hit either, however, with a 57% critics score and 53% audience score, suggesting thatYeoh appearing inDie Another Daywouldn’t have tainted her previous appearance in the franchise.
Tomorrow Never Dies: 10 Ways It’s Pierce Brosnan’s Most Underrated Bond Movie
Pierce Brosnan’s second James Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies, wasn’t praised by critics, but its satire of mass media was surprisingly prescient.
Though neitherDie Another DaynorTomorrow Never Dieswere critical darlings,it’s certainly worth questioning what a brief appearance by Yeoh’s character would have added to the latter film. By the sound of things, the role would have almost been more of a cameo, with Bond then moving along and the rest of the film playing out as normal. If Yeoh’s character was brought back in a more substantial capacity forDie Another Day, however, that would have been interesting.
Yeoh’s Lin marks the franchise’s first ethnic Chinese Bond girl.
One of the ways in whichDaniel Craig’s tenure as Bondshook up the franchise is with its character arcs playing out across multiple films. Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd, for example, may die inCasino Royale, but she continues to affect Bond moving forward, and Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann does actually appear in multiple films. IfDie Another Dayhad taken this same approach with Yeoh’s character, the film would have broken some exciting new ground for the franchise and potentially have been more warmly received.
Die Another Day
Cast
ames Bond is captured and tortured during a mission in North Korea, but after 14 months, he is exchanged for a North Korean prisoner. Stripped of his 00 status and determined to clear his name, Bond embarks on a globe-trotting quest to uncover a traitor and stop a catastrophic plot. Teaming up with the enigmatic NSA agent Jinx, he tracks down a diamond mogul with a sinister connection to his past. The mission leads Bond to an ice palace in Iceland and a high-tech satellite capable of devastating destruction.
