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After being 007 for years, Daniel Craig is ready to cut loose. Following his time in the James Bond franchise, the British star has been taking on more passion projects, headlining Rian Johnson’s Knives Out movies and more recently, starring in a fun ad for Belvedere vodka, which is directed by critically acclaimed Taika Waititi.
In the commercial, Craig expertly shows off his dance moves as he sashays from one scene to the next. And unbeknownst to many, Waititi wasn’t even sure if the former 007 had the moves before the cameras started rolling.
Belvedere Vodka Presents Daniel Craig ‘As Never Before’
Having been the official vodka of the James Bond franchise for years, Belvedere is certainly familiar with Craig and his time as the vodka martini-sipping 007. And now that he has moved on from the role, Belvedere is also happy to showcase the action star in a whole new light.
In a new campaign, the luxury vodka brand promises to show Craig “as he has never been seen before.” With Waititi’s help, Belvedere presents another side of Craig who apparently has the “talent to surprise and innovate” even from behind the scenes.
“Taika’s unique vision imagines how life might look when the cameras are not rolling,” the brand further explained.
The commercial also featured an original song from Waititi’s partner, Rita Ora, and Giggs. Meanwhile, Craig’s lengthy dance number was choreographed by JaQuel Knight who is known for working with the likes of Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Megan Thee Stallion, Calvin Harris, and many others.
The critically acclaimed choreographer rose to fame after his creating the hit dance moves for Beyoncé’s Single Ladies.
Taika Waititi ‘Didn’t Know’ If Daniel Craig Could Dance Before Filming The Commercial
Coming into the project, Waititi had always known that they were going to do something unexpected. But it’s also supposed to be fun. “There was sort of the fun of playing with [what] people expect, like ‘Oh, we’re going to make some high-class thing in Paris and it’s in black and white, very pretentious, like the beginning of a French noir film’ or something,” he explained.
“It was just about having fun with the form, and making sure that we never really took any of it too seriously.”
And as it turns out, that ‘different version’ of Craig involves dancing, which up until recently, Waititi had been unaware of. Prior to working on the commercial, the director wasn’t even sure if the former 007 could bust a move on the dance floor.
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“I didn’t know if he could dance or not,” the director admitted. “It’s risky—what do you do if you find out he can’t dance? I mean, luckily he can.” Waititi was also surprised that Craig just went for it. “He just was great and he wasn’t cynical about it, and he wasn’t reticent,” he recalled. “He just leaned straight in.”
Meanwhile, for Knight, the approach to creating dance moves is always personal. “I always start from scratch and think about who each person is as an artist,” he once explained in a 2017 interview.
“Whether you’re a new artist like Zara Larsson or a pro like Beyoncé, we all like to have fun and dance, and we all love music. I start at this point with each artist, and from there we start to develop our own way of communicating.”
And as it turns out too, Knight knows just what to do in case an artist can’t dance. “I’ve actually worked with quite a few artists who just can’t quite get it,” he once explained. “I’m really good at making people feel like they can be great dancers.”
The trick is to encourage them to develop a personal connection with their movements.
“I tell them to not come at it from a dancer’s perspective, instead I ask, how do you go through your day? How do you walk? How do you go to pick up a bag of chips? How do you act when you’ve got your favourite meal in front of you? How do you boogie then?” Knight continued.
“Everyone can connect and relate to those things and grow from there, and that’s how I help them. It still blows my mind how amazing they can end up.”
Daniel Craig Convinced Taika Waititi To Make That Hilarious Cameo In The End
Toward the end of the commercial, Craig mutters ‘Finally…” and takes a sip of vodka. Suddenly, Waititi announces ‘And cut’ from the other side of the room. The director appears with his crew, seemingly overseeing the commercial while being fed sushi and sipping espresso. He tells Craig, “Let’s go again. Just be yourself.”
As it turns out, it was Craig who got the idea to make this happen. “It was never really established that I would do that little cameo until we were shooting and then Daniel said, ‘It’s got to be you, man,’” Waititi recalled. “He actually convinced me to do it…”
Here’s hoping they do more work together soon.
