David Arnold returns to Bond franchise, 18 years after ‘Quantum of Solace’

17 April 2026, 17:25 | Updated: 17 April 2026, 18:02

007 is back, and with him comes a classic Bond composer.

Pour a martini, dust off that dinner jacket and grab your controller. Bond is going animated – and he’s bringing along a cocktail of talent.

The release of a new Bond theme has become as hotly anticipated as the movies themselves. Recent entries like Adele’s Skyfall and Billie Eilish and Hans Zimmer’s No Time to Die have received both commercial and critical success, both winning Academy Awards for Best Original Song.

Now, in a surprise release, comes a new Lana Del Rey Bond single for the upcoming 007 First Light video game. Even more unexpectedly, her collaborator on the song is film composer David Arnold, who scored five Bond films between 1997 and 2008.

Read more: All 24 James Bond theme songs ranked from worst to best, based on musical merit

Who is David Arnold?

David Arnold is a British composer who has worked in film and TV, across multiple genres, for decades. Many might recognise his iconic music to the 2010 adaptation of Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, which won Arnold an Emmy Award in 2014.

But one of his biggest achievements was redefining the sound of 007 during the transition from Pierce Brosnan to Daniel Craig.

Arnold modernised the music by blending the traditional orchestral arrangements with electronic instruments, paying homage to John Barry’s original Bond score along the way.

His final Bond score was 2008’s Quantum of Solace, with Thomas Newman taking over on Skyfall. Now, in 2026, David Arnold has returned to the Bond franchise with the single ‘First Light’ which he describes as joining “a long line of genre-defining songs”.

Lana Del Rey finally gets her Bond song

Since her debut album Born to Die was released in 2012, Lana Del Rey’s cinematic orchestration and distinctive vocal quality have earned the singer comparisons to early Bond songs. The singer later revealed that her song ‘24’, from the album Honeymoon, was intended to be the theme for the movie Spectre.

It was passed on by the film’s creative team in favour of British singer Sam Smith’s Oscar-winning Writing on the Wall. Del Rey was in good company, with Radiohead’s submission also being passed over. Both artists later released their themes as singles.

Lana Del Rey – First Light Official Lyric Video

What is 007 First Light?

007 First Light is an action-adventure video game, which will be released in May 2026. It follows a standalone story focusing on a 26-year-old Bond as he is recruited by MI6, without drawing continuity from the films or books.

007 First Light also marks the return to video games for the spy, following his last outing in 2012 with 007 Legends.

The chief executive of developer IO Interactive has said this new game has been made “even more special” by the inclusion of David Arnold and Lana Del Rey.

“It's a joy to watch two extraordinary talents like Lana Del Rey and David Arnold combine forces,” said Hakan Abrak. “The result feels instantly 'Bond' while still bringing a fresh identity for 007 First Light.”