Conan, I thought you or the Oscars producers weren’t going to waste our time. The 97th Academy Awards had plenty of memorable moments—Sean Baker’s Anora sweep, O’Brien’s roast of Hollywood, and Kieran Culkin’s hilarious acceptance speech—but one of the most head-scratching segments of the night was the James Bond tribute.
For reasons that remain unclear, the Oscars devoted an entire segment to celebrating a franchise with no recent film, no major anniversary, and no major updates on its future. While tributes to cinematic icons aren’t unusual at the Academy Awards, this one felt random, awkward, and ultimately pointless.
What Was the Tribute?
The segment featured The Substance star Margaret Qualley performing an interpretive dance routine (because when we think of James Bond, we think of… interpretive dance?), followed by musical performances of iconic Bond songs by Lisa, Doja Cat, and Raye.
The performances themselves were well-executed—Lisa rocked “Live and Let Die,” Doja Cat delivered a sultry “Diamonds Are Forever,” and Raye gave a strong rendition of “Skyfall”—but the entire production felt like it had no clear purpose.
And here’s the most baffling part: why these artists?
The Bond franchise has delivered some of the most iconic movie themes of all time, performed by legends like Adele, Sam Smith, Billie Eilish, Alicia Keys, and even Madonna—all of whom are very much alive and available. Why weren’t they invited to perform the songs they made famous? Seeing Adele belt out “Skyfall” or Billie Eilish deliver “No Time to Die” would have made sense and carried real emotional weight. Instead, we got a bizarre mishmash of performers with little connection to Bond.
Even stranger, none of the living Bond actors—Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig—were present. Nor were longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who were supposedly the reason for the tribute in the first place.
Why Did This Happen?
Unlike previous Oscar tributes to The Godfather (for its 50th anniversary) or Titanic (for its 25th anniversary), the James Bond franchise is not celebrating any major milestone. The last Bond film, No Time to Die, came out nearly four years ago, and there’s still no announcement on who will replace Daniel Craig as the next 007.
So why devote an entire segment to Bond?
The most likely explanation is that the tribute was designed to honor Broccoli and Wilson, the longtime producers of the franchise. However, with Amazon now holding creative control over the series, this felt less like a celebration and more like a farewell to their influence—except they weren’t even there to acknowledge it.
What in the actual hell?
The Audience’s Reaction? Confusion.
Viewers at home and even those in attendance seemed confused about why this was happening. Social media lit up with jokes about the Oscars randomly deciding to do a Bond tribute with no Bond actors and speculations that maybe this was a secret Amazon PR stunt rather than a genuine celebration of the franchise.
A Tribute to… Nothing?
The Oscars have pulled off legendary tributes in the past, but this one felt out of place and unnecessary. If the Academy wanted to celebrate Bond, why not wait for an actual occasion—like the casting of the next 007 or the release of the next film? Instead, we got a glitzy, well-produced but ultimately baffling segment that felt more like filler than anything meaningful.
If there’s one thing James Bond is known for, it’s precision, timing, and a well-executed plan—all things that this tribute lacked.
So much for not wasting my time.
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on Twitter at @colinthewriter1
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