Bond Is (Finally) Here

►Craig says goodbye to 007. Hollywood A-listers, members of the British royal family, the enormously talented trio of Stormzy, Skepta and Dave, and most importantly THR's Alex Ritman, our man in London, were present for the No Time to Die world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall, and boy was it was a huge deal. 

Alex writes, "After much fanfare, a change in director, a rewrite, several well-documented release delays and a major pandemic, the world premiere for the 25th James Bond film kicked off at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall, just shy of six years since the last 007 instalment, Spectre." 

He adds, "The attention paid to No Time to Die's world premiere was unlike any in recent memory, not simply because of the popularity of the famous film franchise, but also due to the unprecedented level of turbulence the film has faced — including no less than five delays and a release date that many thought might never arrive." The story.  

—"Elevated by a fitting farewell." THR's chief film critic David Rooney reviews Cary Joji Fukunaga's No Time to Die. Rooney writes that "anyone who has developed an attachment" to Craig's Bond will "feel a surge of raw feeling" watching the movie, adding that Fukunaga "handles the action with assurance and the more intimate interludes with sensitivity, never forgetting that there’s a wounded, vulnerable human being beneath the licensed-to-kill MI6 agent." The review.  

—"Worth the wait." The reviews are still coming in for No Time to Die, but if you're interested in quick takes from industry press who saw the film yesterday, here's a selection of early reactions to the film. The reaction. 

Emanuel Says "No" to Buying UTA

►Not happening. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel didn't mince his words when he was asked about CAA’s blockbuster acquisition of ICM, and made it clear his company isn’t necessarily looking to join the buying spree. Interviewed at the Code Conference, Emanuel was asked directly whether he would pursue UTA in the wake of the CAA-ICM deal. His response? "No, we don’t need it." The story.  

—First batch. In other Endeavor news, the company has welcomed its first class of Impact Fellows to add to the pipeline of future industry executives and creators. The program aims at giving young people from underrepresented backgrounds a pathway to future industry leadership. The story. 

—"The responsibility rests on my shoulders." Speaking at Code Conference, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar said he rushed the communication of his decision to place Warner Bros.’s 2021 film slate on HBO Max and should’ve taken “the better part of a month” to speak with the more than 170 individuals impacted by the day-and-date shift. The story. 

—Another purchase. Netflix has acquired the indie game developer Night School Studio as part of its planned push into video games. Night School, founded in 2014 by Sean Krankel and Adam Hines, is the first game developer acquired by the streamer and is behind the titles Oxenfree, Afterparty and Next Stop Nowhere. The story. 

—Sticking around. THR's always excellent Lexy Perez has the scoop on Ryan Seacrest signing a new three-year contract with iHeartMedia that extends through Dec. 31, 2025. Under the new deal, Seacrest will remain a key adviser for the company, continuing to work closely with chairman and CEO Bob Pittman and president, COO and CFO Rich Bressler. The story. 

Jesse Palmer Named 'Bachelor' Host

►Season five call back. Jesse Palmer, a one-time Bachelor star himself, will become the new face of the franchise when season 26 premieres. Selecting Palmer, an ESPN analyst since 2007, ends a search that began when longtime host Chris Harrison parted ways with the ABC show earlier this summer. The story.  

—Trump's not gonna rock down to electric avenue. On Tuesday, a New York federal judge issued a decision that will cheer musicians. THR's Eriq Gardner writes that U.S. District Court Judge John Koeltl rejected Donald Trump's attempted "fair use" defense to a lawsuit brought by Eddy Grant over the use of "Electric Avenue" in a political ad. The story. 

—Bit of both. The Sundance Film Festival will go ahead with a hybrid event for 2022. With the COVID-19 still to be contained, Sundance, which runs from Jan. 20 to 30, will combine virtual screenings with physical screenings in Salt Lake City and seven other indie art house cinemas elsewhere. The story. 

—Huge year for news. ABC’s The Shot: Race to the Vaccine and CNN’s The Death of George Floyd were among the winners of the 42nd Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards on Tuesday night. The winners.

—Expanding horizons. IMDb TV has made its first trip overseas. Amazon’s advertising-supported free streaming service has launched in the U.K., the platform’s first international territory outside North America. The story. 

'Law & Order' Revived for Season 21  

►It's official. Dick Wolf’s original Law & Order series is returning to NBC. The network has handed out a straight-to-series order for a revival of the procedural that launched Wolf’s multibillion-dollar franchise. Rick Eid, one of Wolf’s frequent collaborators, will serve as showrunner on what is being billed as the drama’s 21st season. The story. 

—Seriously, call Kenny Loggins. Archer is getting a 13th season on FXX. The Emmy-winning animated comedy will return sometime in 2022 for eight episodes. The move follows the passing of co-star Jessica Walter who voiced Malory Archer on the series since its first episode. The loss will be creatively addressed in the show’s new episodes. The story. 

—You get an NFT! You get an NFT! You get an NFT! DC's FanDome event is fast approaching and fans have even more reason to register with the news that if they do they're in line to receive two free NFTs chosen by Jim Lee, DC publisher and chief creative officer. The story. 

—Big hire. Christina Oh, who earned an Academy Award nomination this year for producing Minari, is leaving Plan B and joining Megan Ellison’s Annapurna as executive vp and co-head of film. The story. 

—Collector's item. Star Wars creator George Lucas is getting the action figure treatment with the release of Hasbro’s new toy: “George Lucas (in Stormtrooper Disguise).” The fourth-wall-breaking 6-inch figure, a part of the Black Series toy line, has the Bearded One in classic original trilogy Stormtrooper armor, along with a removable helmet and blaster. The story.

In other news...

—Whoopi Goldberg producing cyber-stalker movie for Lifetime.

—Lori Loughlin sets return to acting following college admissions scandal. 

—Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba face off in first trailer for Jay-Z-produced The Harder They Fall.

—Freddie Highmore reveals he is married on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

—TV ratings: 911, CBS comedies grow in week 2.

—Sam Riddle, famed L.A. disc jockey and Star Search producer, dies at 83.

—AMC Networks COO Ed Carroll to step down after 34-year run.

—Late Late Show brings back studio audience for first time since pandemic began.

—Paul Giamatti recounts his (hilarious) free Burger King for life tragedy.

—Jon Stewart ponders the best sandwich, why cats are scary while taking the "Colbert Questionert."

—The Michelin Guide Awards new stars to eight Los Angeles restaurants.

—MPA launches law and policy fellowship for HBCU grads.

What else we're reading...

—"Black Women See Long-overdue Justice In R. Kelly Conviction" [Los Angeles Times]

—"Facebook’s Effort to Attract Preteens Goes Beyond Instagram Kids, Documents Show" [Wall Street Journal]

—"Why Is Hollywood Still Denying Black Queer Love Stories?" [The Guardian]

—"Are the Britney Spears Documentaries Exploiting Her All Over Again?" [Daily Beast]

—"How Lip-Syncing Got Real" [New York Times]

Today...   

Today's birthdays: Zachary Levi (41), Ian McShane (79), Erika Eleniak (52), Mackenzie Crook (50), James Lance (47), Nicolas Winding Refn (51), Dale Dickey (60), Chrissy Metz (41), Luke Goss (53), Halsey (27), Natasha Gregson Wagner (51), Andrew Dice Clay (64), Robert Webb (49), Patricia Hodge (75)