2021 is coming: expect for the best...

 

This pic of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies is not just to remember better times in the EON-produced Bond franchise, but to welcome 2021 and to reflect a little on 2020.

We are about to leave a very uncomfortable and treacherous year. In my case, it was also tragic: my dear Mariana passed away after battling a long illnes in March and so did my cat just a couple of weeks later. It was expetced, but still very hurtful, for I know these are irreparable losses and, well, she was really a irreplaceable person.

Apart from that, being locked up didn't help just like turning my home into an office shared with some of my relatives - relatives I had to help to do their Zoom conferences and handling technologies they don't know well. Our beloved Sir Sean Connery died and No Time To Die was also moved from April to November, and now we are meant to believe it'll be out in April 2021, but I'm not convinced it'll happen nor is the star and co-producer of the film: "Fingers crossed". I just try to forget about it. Either way, cinemas aren't open in Argentina because people could get the virus - fortunately, the virus took a break when hundreds of people were packed like sardines to bid farewell to Maradona. But it seems the virus might sit next to you if you go to the cinema because he's a very selective guy, you know.

I can't say everything has been bad, though. The World of GoldenEye and my other books sold very well, and I also published another three books this year: Beyond The Ice, The Films of Martin Campbell and For England, James. I want to thank everyone for buying them, you are really helping a lot and sometimes I'm sad I can't compensate you as much as I'd like, given how pitiful my country's currency is. I want to send a big hug to my friends at Archivo 007 who have always supported my job along with Jordan Freeman and my great buddy Jack Walter Christian, always giving me a hand and proving what a great friend is in this ever-changing world in which we live in, to quote that famous Bond song. Special thanks to him and to the many members of the Bond community who trusted in my work a couple of weeks away when bogus claims on The World of GoldenEye were made. I doubted for a moment if people would believe that slander put in the words of one of the film's crew member who died and can't speak anymore, but fortunately, seven books were sold right after that comment and the numbers kept growing as the year came to a close. Guess I'll have to thank them as well. They did end up promoting my work, after all.

Something beautiful of 2020 was homaging GoldenEye's 25th anniversary. This year reaffirmed my love for that movie and my eternal gratitude to everyone who had worked there. Seeing trailers and posters for a Bond movie that didn't end up being released come and go was discouraging, but in times of crisis you always come back home. And, happily, in every rewatch of the movie my inner kid rejoiced and I was pleased to see so much love for it after a quarter of a century. It has aged beautifully and I wouldn't have changed any bit of it. No, not even the soundtrack. I quite like it, to be honest. 

What to expect for 2021? I don't know. Many are way too confident this will be a wonderful year. I don't want to be so sure. In my case, I'll be wary and not setting my hopes up way too much. Expect for the best, prepare for the worst. Just like Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies, a glass of Smirnoff seems to be the perfect way to approach it. It's either a Carver's hitman or Paris seeking solace. Let's see who's standing behind our doorway in a couple of hours...

Anyway, hope you have a great New Year's Eve!

Best wishes,

Nicolás