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History of James Bond Films Timeline
(1962 - Present)The James Bond film series is one of the longest-running and most successful franchises in cinema history. Based on Ian Fleming's novels, it began in 1962 with Dr. No starring Sean Connery and has continued through six official actors portraying the iconic British spy MI6 agent 007 across more than 25 films produced by Eon Productions. More Less
Origins
Ian Fleming creates James Bond
1953
James Bond is a fictional character created by British novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. The character debuted in Fleming's novel Casino Royale and went on to become one of the most iconic figures in popular culture, spawning an enormous franchise of films, books, and other media.
Image source: James Bond
Casino Royale sold for television adaptation
1954
The rights to Casino Royale had been sold to producer Gregory Ratoff for a television adaptation in 1954. This early sale meant that when Broccoli and Saltzman later bought the rights to existing and future Fleming titles, the deal did not include Casino Royale, complicating the film rights landscape for decades.
Image source: Casino Royale (Climax!)
Eon Productions
Broccoli and Saltzman acquire Bond film rights
1961
In 1961, producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman purchased the rights to Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, laying the foundation for the long-running Eon Productions film series that would define the cinematic Bond.
Image source: Eon Productions
Dr. No released and Danjaq created
1962
Following its release in 1962, Broccoli and Saltzman created the holding company Danjaq to ensure future productions in the James Bond film series. The first Eon Bond film, Dr. No, introduced Sean Connery as 007 and launched what would become one of cinema's most successful franchises.
Thunderball produced with Kevin McClory
1965
Although Eon Productions and McClory joined forces to produce Thunderball, McClory still retained the rights to the story. This collaboration brought the fourth official Bond film to the screen while leaving a legal legacy that would later enable non-Eon Bond productions.
Image source: Thunderball (film)
Albert R. Broccoli's later years with the series
1982
In 1982, series originator Albert R. Broccoli continued to guide the James Bond film franchise, having shepherded it through two decades of productions and establishing the traditions of the Eon series that endure to this day.
Image source: Albert R. Broccoli
GoldenEye opening sequence set in 1986
1986
In 1986, Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan) and Alec Trevelyan—agent 006—infiltrate an illicit Soviet chemical weapons facility and plant explosive charges. This prologue to GoldenEye, released in 1995, set up Trevelyan's betrayal and served as Brosnan's debut as 007.
Image source: GoldenEye
No Time to Die released
Sep 2021
The Eon series currently has twenty-five films, with the most recent, No Time to Die, released in September 2021. The film marked Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond and concluded his five-film arc within the franchise.
Image source: No Time to Die
Bond franchise surpasses $20 billion adjusted
2022
Adjusting for inflation, the series has earned over $19.2 billion in 2022 dollars from box-office receipts alone, with non-Eon entries pushing this inflation-adjusted figure to a grand total in excess of $20 billion, cementing Bond as one of the highest-grossing media franchises in history.
Image source: List of James Bond films
Non-Eon Films
Feldman produces Casino Royale spoof
1967
Charles K. Feldman, who held the rights to Casino Royale, subsequently produced the Bond spoof Casino Royale in 1967. The star-studded parody was a non-Eon entry that satirized the spy genre at the height of Bond mania.
Image source: Casino Royale (1967 film)
Key Facts
- Dr. No (1962), starring Sean Connery, was the first James Bond film and established many franchise traditions like the gun barrel opening sequence.
- Six actors have officially played James Bond: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.
- Skyfall (2012) became the highest-grossing Bond film worldwide, earning over $1.1 billion at the box office.
- Albert R. 'Cubby' Broccoli and Harry Saltzman founded Eon Productions, which has produced nearly all official Bond films; the Broccoli family continues to oversee the franchise.
- No Time to Die (2021) was Daniel Craig's final outing as Bond and was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source
This History of James Bond Films timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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