“The music is an iconic part of a Bond film, from playing the actual theme to the mood,” says the 67-year-old British musician, who has blown the horn for every single 007 movie since 1962’s Dr. No, in the exclusive video above.
Ten-time Oscar-nominee Thomas Newman, who conducted the instantly recognizable James Bond theme for Skyfall, called Watkins’ institutional knowledge essential to crafting an appropriate soundtrack for the upcoming spy flick.
“It’s a great thing to have him in the orchestra,” Newman says. “When we’d get to these Bond licks — these classic Bond licks — we really wanted the input of Derrick just to help us know that we were doing it in the right kind of way.”
The PG-13 Skyfall, directed by Sam Mendes and once again starring Daniel Craig as the ultimate British spy, opens Nov. 9.
