Doja Cat, Lisa and Raye teamed up for a tribute to 007’s legacy over the last 60 years at this year’s Academy Awards, not long after the shocking news that Amazon MGM is gaining creative control of the James Bond franchise.
The medley began with Margaret Qualley dancing to the Bond theme, as Lisa descended from the ceiling to sing Wings’ “Live and Let Live,” the theme from the 1973 film of the same name. While women in red dresses danced with men in tuxes, Lisa stretched her arms towards the sky, passing the baton to Doja Cat to give a glittery rendition of Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever” from the 1971 Bond flick. Raye rounded out the performance with a cover of Adele’s “Skyfall,” dressed in a black-and-white dress and accompanied by an orchestra.
Halle Berry, who starred as Jinx in 2002’s “Die Another Day,” introduced the performance with a tribute to Bond and the many men who have played him. “That signature mix of danger, style and intrigue? Well, that’s timeless,” she said, teeing up the medley.
Bond films have had a presence at the
Oscars before, with 1964’s “Goldfinger” winning for sound effects, 1965’s “Thunderbolt” winning for special visual effects and 2012’s “Skyfall” tying with “Zero Dark Thirty” for sound editing. More recently, “Skyfall,” “Spectre” and “No Time to Die” all won for their theme songs, sang by the likes of Adele, Sam Smith and Billie Eilish.
After the superspy was first introduced by journalist and novelist Ian Fleming in the 1953 book “Casino Royale,” Bond made his first on-screen appearance in 1962’s “Dr. No.” To date, 007 has been the subject of 25 films. Over the years, Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig have all played the titular role.
One of the biggest questions surrounding the long-running spy franchise is who will take over the lead role after Craig’s send-off in 2021’s “No Time to Die.” It remains unclear how exactly Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli stepping back as long-time producers of 007 will impact Bond’s future, as speculation about casting continues.
Doja Cat, Lisa and Raye’s performance comes a few weeks after they released the single “Born Again” ahead of Blackpink member Lisa’s album, “Alter Ego.” The Thai pop star is also currently on the third season of “The White Lotus,” playing a character named Mook who works at the resort. Lisa made her acting debut with the series.
