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Three years ago, Daniel Craig's time as James Bond came to an end. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga's "No Time to Die" rather boldly gave Craig's version of Bond a proper ending. With that, all eyes are now on the future. Over the last few years, various rumors, suggestions, and bits of speculation have cropped up regarding who will take over as 007 in the next iteration of the legendary franchise. As of now, nothing has been confirmed by Eon Productions or the film's producers. That said, they do know what they're looking for when it comes to finding Craig's successor, and there are a few key requirements.

In a conversation with The Independent, longtime franchise stewards Barbara Broccoli, daughter of the late Albert "Cuddy" Broccoli, and her brother, Michael G. Wilson, spoke about the future of "James Bond" -- specifically, who will play the next Bond on screen. "It's a big decision,...

When it comes to Bond girls, Daniel Craig has a favorite—and surprise, it’s not Ana de Armas or Eva Green. In fact, this particular Bond girl was so iconic that she almost overshadowed the entire movie. Now, that’s saying something! Craig, who’s seen his fair share of powerful women in the 007 universe, revealed a surprising pick that made jaws drop.

Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas in No Time to Die | Eon Productions

So, who’s the lucky lady that outshined the action, the intrigue, and even James Bond himself? Let’s just say she was nearly bigger than the film. Ready to uncover who stole the spotlight? Buckle up, because this revelation is about to shake the Bond fandom!

Diana Rigg: The Bond Girl Who Outshone Even 007, Says Daniel Craig Diana Rigg as Countess Tracy di Vicenzo from On Her Majesty’s Secret...

Stars: George Lazenby, Anita Strindberg, Nicoletta Elmi, Adolfo Celi, Dominique Boschero, Peter Chatel, Peter Chatel | Written by Francesco Barilli, Massimo D’Avak | Directed by Aldo Lado

Who Saw Her Die? (Chi l’ha vista morire?), directed by Aldo Lado, is a striking entry in the Italian horror genre that flourished during the late 1960s and 1970s. The film combines the typical Giallo elements of mystery, psychological tension, and stylized violence with a moody atmosphere that sets it apart from its contemporaries.

Set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of Venice, the film tells the story of sculptor Franco Serpieri (played by George Lazenby), whose daughter, Roberta, is brutally murdered shortly after arriving in the city. As Franco delves into the mystery of her death, he uncovers a series of child murders that eerily mirror the fate of his own daughter. The film is notable for its brooding atmosphere, where Venice’s foggy canals...

George Lazenby will return in…nothing, actually. Lazenby, a literal one-time James Bond portrayer, has announced at the age of 84 that he has retired. You might even be surprised to know that he was still working, but Lazenby has occasionally been appearing in various movies over the past few years.

In a social media post this week, George Lazenby wrote, “This hasn’t been an easy decision but it’s time to announce my retirement from work. Therefore, I won’t be doing any more acting or making public appearances, doing any more interviews or signing any more autographs as of today. It’s been a fun ride but getting older is no fun. I would like to thank my manager and friend, Anders Frejah, for helping me since 2013 – the best representative I ever had. I can now concentrate on spending more time with my family. My sincere gratitude to...

George Lazenby played James Bond a single time before walking away from the part forever. He explained why on earth he threw away the opportunity to play 007 again and again. Interestingly, he didn’t feel like he was losing money when he made that fateful decision.

George Lazenby said the hippy scene convinced him to reject James Bond

Sean Connery played Bond seven times, Roger Moore did the same, and Daniel Craig played him five times. Lazenby ditched the role after a single outing: the critically acclaimed On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The Guardian reports Lazenby turned down a million dollars to play the fictional spy another six times.

In 2017, Lazenby said the cultural atmosphere of the 1960s explained his decision. “I had advice that James Bond was over anyway,” he said. “It was Sean Connery’s gig and, being in the ’60s, it was love, not war. You know,...

Australian actor George Lazenby, who had a one-and-done moment playing James Bond in 1969’s “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” is retiring from acting. Lazenby had the shortest tenure as the world’s most well known secret agent, starring only in the one film as 007.

A Hulu docudrama from Josh Greenbaum about Lazenby’s life, “Becoming Bond,” was released in 2017. An auto mechanic turned male model, Lazenby was the second actor to play Bond on the big screen, following Sean Connery, who starred in seven Bond pics.

On July 24, Lazenby announced his decision to retire in a post on X. Although his career has “been a fun ride,” he feels “getting older is no fun,” he wrote.

“This hasn’t been an easy decision but it’s time to announce my retirement from work,” Lazenby wrote on X. “Therefore, I won’t be doing any more acting or making public appearances,...

George Lazenby was the first actor to play James Bond on the big screen after Sean Connery left the role. That might sound like a significant accomplishment, but Lazenby has been a walking punchline for decades for two very different reasons.

George Lazenby is the worst actor to play James Bond by far

Connery made Bond one of the most famous fictional characters of the 20th century through the first five 007 movies: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Love Twice. He left the franchise, only to be replaced by Lazenby for the following movie: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Lazenby had some big shoes to fill.

And fill them he did not. While 007 is supposed to be all about his wit and charm, Lazenby is wooden. Watching On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, it’s hard to imagine Lazenby getting the lead role in a...

"This never happened to the other fellow,” George Lazenby said as James Bond in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Lazenby’s Bond was a one-and-done deal, making the first and only Australian Bond the only actor to get a single crack at the job. Still, the iconic line...

“Joe and Anthony Russo will return.”

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Marvel is now in talks to bring Joe and Anthony Russo back as directors of Avengers 5 and 6. The Russos helmed some of the franchise’s biggest hits, including Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The Hollywood Reporter notes that the discussions are still in early phases, but they seem to be on their way.

Given the success of those films, and the difficulty that MCU head Kevin Fiege has had finding someone to helm the next Avengers movies, having gone through Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘s Destin Daniel Cretton and Shawn Levy of Deadpool & Wolverine, the Russos’ return seems like a no brainer. After all, they’re a very safe pair of hands when it comes to these sorts of massive, franchise-defining blockbusters. However, there is also risk here. Feige might do well to...

Ranker is a popular place on the Internet where people can rank whatever they want, however, they want, and whenever they want. This is always a fan-focused ranking system, and it is never officially tied to the people behind the projects in question. Recently, a large survey was organized on Ranker, whose goal was to determine the best James Bond films of all time. The list includes 26 titles in total, but in our report, we have decided to list the top ten films from the site to provide you with better insight, combined with our original comments and opinions, which will add flavor to the whole report.

Of course, since this is indeed an important list, we have decided to report on it, so we are going to bring you the results by listing the top 10 movies on this list, from 10th to first place. We hope you’ll enjoy it!

Secret agents going rogue is such a common trope that sometimes we wish that people like Ethan Hunt or Jason Bourne would just follow their orders for change. When Daniel Craig started playing James Bond in 2006, it seemed like Bond went rogue on nearly every single mission, including most of Quantum of Solace, at least half of Skyfall, and basically, the first two-thirds of No Time To Die. Pierce Brosnan’s Bond went rogue in Die Another Day, too, with a full beard and no shirt, declaring “I’m checking out” from a hospital. And of course, Connery’s Bond was on an unsanctioned revenge mission at the start of Diamonds Are Forever.

But the most compelling Bond-goes-rogue movie of them all to this day remains Licence to Kill, which in 1989, would become the unintended swan song from Timothy Dalton’s fierce take on the character.

On June 13 of that year,...

The James Bond franchise has attained cult status mainly due to its suave and dashing protagonist who has been portrayed by various actors across generations, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig. But none of these films would have been what they were without the mesmerizing beauty of the Bond girl who has provided the glamor quotient in plenty.

Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale (image credit: Columbia Pictures)

From Ursula Andress to stars like Jane Seymour, Halle Berry, Teri Hatcher, and Léa Seydoux, these actors have provided a lot of sizzle to the narratives over the years. While most of these stars took on the role in their 20s, Italian beauty Monica Bellucci made her Bond girl debut in her 50s in Spectre, thereby being the oldest actor to portray the part. Interestingly, Bellucci was pursued for the role long before Craig took over in 2006.

Monica Bellucci’s...

For over a decade, Roger Moore had the task of living up to everything that Sean Connery had put in place as 007. And while some will defend Moore forever, we can’t forget the clown costumes, slide whistles, gondola chases, and so much more that pushed James Bond into an uncharted level of ridiculousness. Perhaps all of this could have been prevented had Timothy Dalton not been so green, turning down On Her Majesty’s Secret Service because he was in his mid-20s. That’s all hypothetical, of course, but Timothy Dalton would go on to reinvent James Bond in a way that may not have sat with contemporary audiences but marked a true challenge for what it meant to carry the torch. Dalton played 007 just twice; and with that, we’d challenge you to name just as many worthwhile post-Bond movies from the underappreciated actor (who we’re...

The big-screen adaptations of Ian Fleming’s James Bond have never really been known for being faithful to their source material. Apart from some initial releases, such as On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Thunderball, most films haven’t gone past the title of the books when it comes to borrowing material for the silver screen.

As a result, after rumors emerged claiming that Christopher Nolan was in talks to make a faithful adaptation of Fleming’s work, fans were elated. But as the story goes, these claims turned out to be false. However, had Quentin Tarantino got the ball running for his version of Casino Royale, fans would’ve witnessed a pretty truthful adaptation of the author’s first Bond novel.

Casino Royale Would’ve Stuck to the Books Had Quentin Tarantino Directed

A still from Casino Royale | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

While with Casino Royale, director Martin Campbell did stick to the books to some extent,...

The success of Bruce Lee's films on the international scene saw several attempts over the years by Golden Harvest to try and recapture the lightning in a bottle. Some saw efforts to launch a new star, others like “A Queen's Ransom” featuring recognizable “talent” from the west. George Lazenby whilst not a big star at the time was still a “name” having appeared as 007 in “On Her Majesty's Secret Service”. So, it feels somehow apt that he was cast as the terrorist out to kill her here. Backed up by Jimmy Wang Yu and Angela Mao it should on the surface have been a bigger deal. With Eureka Entertainment releasing it on Blu Ray we can discover for ourselves whether it deserves to be.

on Terracotta by clicking on the image below

Morgan (George Lazenby) is hired to head up a team to assassinate the Queen...

Stars: Abm Sumon, Frank Grillo, Matt Passmore, Michael Jai White, Niko Foster, Oleg Prudius, Kelly Greyson | Written by Asif Akbar, Nazim Ud Daula, Abdul Aziz | Directed by Asif Akbar

Mr-9: Do or Die is based on the first of a long-running series of mostly ghost-written novels chronicling the adventures of Masud Rana, Bangladesh’s answer to James Bond. Somewhat surprisingly given there are 500 or so novels in the franchise, this is only the second attempt at bringing them to the screen, the first being Masud Rana in 1974. Fifty years later, will the world be more receptive to the Bangladeshi Bond?

The film certainly starts on a familiar note with Rana running unnoticed across wide open lawns in broad daylight without being noticed. Despite his best efforts and his leaving a trail of bodies behind him, his target gets away and the two agents he was supposed to rescued are killed.

“It was all me, James. It’s always been me,” the villain played by Christoph Waltz reveals to super spy James Bond. “The author of all your pain.”

The name of that author? Ernst Stavro Blofeld. When Waltz revealed himself as Blofeld in 2015’s Spectre, he reversed a problem that had plagued the Bond franchise for decades: the long absence of 007’s greatest recurring arch-enemy and the huge stakes that came along with his every appearance.

How could the man who escaped every death trap and seduced every woman lose his man? How did the notoriously controlling Eon Productions, which owns the rights to Ian Fleming’s novels, let one of its most important characters slip through its hands?

Turns out, the true author of Bond’s pain is the copyright office and the he said/she said litigation that slows down big budget productions.

The Birth of Blofeld

Ernst...

Three years after the first James Bond film, "Dr. No," a handful of folks who were working on the existing James Bond movies temporarily splintered off to make a completely different kind of spy film. 1965's "The Ipcress File" stars Michael Caine as Harry Palmer, a British secret agent who is much more interested in cooking a high quality meal than skiing off a cliff or dropping quippy one-liners after creatively killing his enemies. There are no scantily clad women, no suggestive double entendres, and no laser beams or gadgets -- in many ways, it's the anti-James Bond movie.

All the more interesting, then, that a handful of key Bond players helped bring this story to the big screen. "The Ipcress File" was scored by John Barry, who was responsible for that iconic James Bond theme song and composed the score for several early Bond pictures, including "Goldfinger" (coincidentally, Michael...

Another former James Bond star is giving his seal of approval to Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who is rumored to be the next 007 agent.

Pierce Brosnan got his turn as James Bond through the 1990s and the beginning of the aughts across four films. As rumors heat up about the next spy agent to take on the role, Brosnan says Taylor-Johnson “has the chops” to take it on.

“I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so,” Brosnan said in an interview on The Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1.

After 2021’s No Time to Die, Taylor-Johnson would succeed Daniel Craig. Brosnan began playing James Bond with 1995’s GoldenEye, followed by Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997, The World Is Not Enough in 1999 and Die Another Day in 2002.

The former 007 agent co-starred with Taylor-Johnson in 2009’s The Greatest, a film that Brosnan produced.

The actor who played 007 in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service said he would be happy to support Taylor-Johnson, whose possible casting has led to an antisemitic backlash

George Lazenby, who played 007 in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, has endorsed the current frontrunner Aaron Taylor-Johnson to take over as the next James Bond.

Speaking to TMZ, Lazenby said he believed Taylor-Johnson, “can handle the stunts, and all the ladies who love a man in a tux”.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson has gotten support from a former James Bond actor after rumors the Bullet Train star got offered to be the next 007 agent.

George Lazenby, who portrayed Bond in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, gave his seal of approval to Taylor-Johnson following reports he was in contention for the role.

According to a recent TMZ report, Lazenby said Taylor-Johnson would be able to “handle the stunts and all the ladies who love a man in a tux.”

Lazenby noted that he doesn’t think Taylor-Johnson has the role yet because “when he auditioned for the part back in the 1960s, he went through a bunch of different tests and auditions before he won the role.”

James Bond was most recently played by English actor Daniel Craig, who took over the role in 2006’s Casino Royale. Craig would continue portraying the spy in 2008’s Quantum of Solace, 2012’s Skyfall,...

George Lazenby is sharing his thoughts on Aaron Taylor-Johnson being rumored to be the next James Bond.

The 84-year-old actor had a one time go at the 007 character, playing Bond in the 1969 movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

If you missed it, it was recently reported that Aaron has landed the role and could be signing a contract soon. However, a source told Just Jared that he has not been cast as James Bond.

Recently, George gave his approval of Aaron‘s potential casting!

Find out what he said inside…

According to TMZ, George says Aaron “can handle the stunts, and all the ladies who love a man in a tux.”

George also noted that he’s sure Aaron hasn’t landed the part yet, as he recalled when he was cast, he had to go through many tests and auditions.

The actor shared some advice for the next Bond...

Think in terms of movies, not eras, Mr. Bond!

If the rumors are correct, James Bond franchise overlord Barbara Broccoli is closing in on a new actor to don 007’s tux. This, however, is an endless vodka martini swirl of rumors — with the main actor in question, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, just as tied to the role a year ago as he is now. Why the delay? It’s been two and a half years since Daniel Craig’s final Bond film, “No Time to Die,” bowed in cinemas.

Part of it seems to be a franchise tradition that, with each new actor in the role, there’s a bit of a rethink of the character: To tailor the role to the actor’s strengths and better fit the sensibilities of the moment. An awareness of the history of the franchise, of what era it’s currently inhabiting, has been part of...

“How can a short, blond actor with the rough face of a professional boxer and a penchant for playing villains, killers, cranks, and cads pull off the role of a tall, dark, handsome, and suave secret agent?”

So asks the front page of the website Daniel Craig is Not Bond, one of many fan-sites launched in the wake of the actor getting cast as James Bond for Casino Royale back in 2005. Nearly two decades later, the question seems laughable, as Craig elevated the franchise into something rich and emotionally dense, touching on qualities the series rarely attempted.

The 20/20 hindsight about Craig’s tenure comes in handy with the escalating rumors that Eon Productions have offered Aaron Taylor-Johnson the Bond role. On paper, Taylor-Johnson seems like the safe choice, a conventionally handsome white Englishman, a veteran of big-budget movies such as Avengers: Age of Ultron, Godzilla, and Tenet.

To be frank,...

In 1985, Cannon Films brought us a Chuck Norris action movie called Invasion USA, which involved Norris’s character – former CIA agent Matt Hunter – trying to stop an invasion of the United States that’s being carried out (in December) by a team of Soviet and Cuban guerrillas headed up by a villain played by Richard Lynch. It’s a violent, explosive shoot ’em up that makes for good Christmastime viewing alongside classics like Lethal Weapon, First Blood, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and Die Hard. It wasn’t a massive hit (it made $17.5 million on a budget of $12 million) and didn’t go over well with critics – but it has its fans, and apparently even helped overthrow the Communist government of Romania!

Directed by Joseph Zito from a screenplay that Chuck Norris and his brother Aaron crafted with James Bruner, Invasion USA has the following synopsis: Retired CIA agent Matt...

The James Bond franchise has been one of the most influential and consistent film franchises that continues to be evergreen. However, since 2021’s No Time to Die, which served as Daniel Craig’s swansong as Agent 007, one of the most coveted roles has been vacant for well over three years.

Daniel Craig’s James Bond in No Time To Die

Fans have often debated who should be the next James Bond, with Tom Hardy being a fan favorite. A new report provides a clear frontrunner and a new entrant to the race. Moreover, the new face could break a peculiar franchise record if they were to be cast in Bond 26. Here are what the latest bookies’ odds reveal about the future of James Bond.

SUGGESTEDArgylle Proves Henry Cavill isn’t Fit for James Bond But Perfect for Another $934M Spy Franchise Bookies’ Odds Reveal New Face in the James...

While Christopher Nolan hasn’t helmed a James Fond feature yet, the influence of the iconic British Spy he grew up watching can be found in Nolan’s filmography, especially in The Dark Knight Rises. In 2012, the director revealed that he drew inspiration from The Spy Who Loved Me for delving into a more expansive scope for the final entry in the acclaimed trilogy.

However, Tdkr isn’t the lone film in his filmography that showcases Nolan’s love for Bond movies, as the director touched on the film that pays homage to his favorite Bond film.

Christopher Nolan on the set of Inception Christopher Nolan Touched on the Homage He Paid to His Favorite James Bond Feature

While to most, the best entry in the Bond franchise would involve films including Sean Connery or Daniel Craig, interestingly, Nolan’s favorite of the bunch includes neither. Joining auteur Denis Villeneuve...

Alec Mills, a camera operator on five James Bond films before becoming a cinematographer on the Timothy Dalton-starring The Living Daylights and License to Kill, has died at 91.

Mills died on Monday, his son, Simon Mills, announced. He was living in an assisted-care home in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, he said.

Mills operated a camera on Peter Hunt’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Lewis Gilbert’s The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979) and John Glen’s For Your Eyes Only (1981) and Octopussy (1983).

Glen then tapped him as his director of photography on The Living Daylights (1987) and License to Kill (1989), both starring Timothy Dalton.

Mills also was a camera operator on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1969), Roman Polanski’s Tragedy of Macbeth (1971), Gulliver’s Travels (1973), John Guillermin’s Death on the Nile (1978) and Richard Marquand’s Eye of the Needle (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1982).

Mills helped found the Guild of...

Alec Mills, who served as a camera operator on five James Bond films before graduating to cinematographer on the Timothy Dalton-starring The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill, has died. He was 91.

Mills died Monday, his son, Simon Mills, announced. He battled dementia and was living in an assisted care home in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, he said.

For 007 movies, Mills operated a camera on Peter Hunt’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Lewis Gilbert’s The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979), and John Glen’s For Your Eyes Only (1981) and Octopussy (1983).

Glen then made him his director of photography on the only two Bond films to star Dalton, The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989), with the latter shooting mostly at Churubusco Studios in Mexico City.

Mills also was a camera operator on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1969), Roman Polanski’s Tragedy of Macbeth (1971), Gulliver’s Travels (1973), John Guillermin’s...

All 25 James Bond films are heading to ITV to stream for free in the UK: and it all starts in March. More here.

While we continue to await substantive news of the next James Bond film and, well, the next James Bond, ITV is going to happily provide UK 007 fans with a free refresher at the story so far.

In March, it’s been announced, all 25 James Bond movies are going to be available for the first time on a free streaming service in the UK. That from March 4th, each day a different James Bond film will screen on the ITV4 channel, and then for 30 days afterwards, will be available via Itvx.

Thus, a little bit the old way of doing things, a little bit the new way of doing things.

Scheduled so far are:

4th March: Goldfinger

5th March: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

6th March: The Spy Who Loved Me...

Shaken, Not Stirred

U.K. broadcaster ITV and streamer Itvx will be the next British home for the James Bond films. ITV has struck a deal with Amazon MGM Studios Distribution to make 25 James Bond films available via linear channels and catch-up on Itvx. The deal marks the first time that the Bond films have been available via an AVOD streaming platform in the U.K., ITV said. Each film will be available to Itvx viewers for 30 days post linear transmission.

The series will launch March 4 on ITV 4 with “Goldfinger,” followed by “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” “The Spy Who Loved Me,” “Licence to Kill,” “GoldenEye” and “Skyfall” over the next week. The deal also includes feature-length documentary “Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007” and “Being James Bond: The Daniel Craig Story.” The 25-film collection is scheduled to air multiple times a year on ITV channels.

Darren Nartey,...

ITV has struck what it says is a first-of-its-kind deal for James Bond movies with Amazon MGM Studios Distribution.

The deal will see 25 James Bond movies available to view on both linear and then for 30 days on streaming platform Itvx, and the pics will air multiple times a year.

ITV said the deal marks the first time the Bond movies have been available via an AVoD streaming platform in the UK.

Films that will be available from next month include Goldfinger, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Skyfall, along with documentaries Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 and Being James Bond: The Daniel Craig Story.

“It doesn’t get any more iconic than James Bond and we are honoured to bring this fantastic catalogue of films to our viewers both on our linear channels and via catch-up on Itvx,” said Darren Nartey, Senior Acquisitions Manager for film and kids at ITV.

A24 are delivering a special gift to Max this December, as Leo Reich’s acclaimed stand-up show Literally Who Cares?! hits the streamer. The comedian has already won over the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Off-Broadway with runs of the show, but this performance was taped at EartH in London. Consider checking it out – if A24 got involved in the project, you know you’ll definitely see something weird and special.

But if you’re looking for something more serious, add the new three-part documentary series Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning to your watch list this month. The upcoming series delves into the fallout from the investigation into Charles “Chuck” Stuart’s 911 call reporting that he and his pregnant wife, had been shot in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood in 1989.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO and Max this month…

HBO and Max New Releases – December 2023

December...

There are countless ways to enjoy the James Bond series, and every 007 aficionado has their preferred method. And they'll talk your ear off about it. Some suggest starting with the highlights, the best of the best, and then doubling back to fill in the gaps. It's the most fun way to do it. Others will tell you to take a deep breath, lean into the wind, and just watch the whole shebang straight through in chronological order of release. It's the most rewarding way to do it (even though you'll suffer through some serious stinkers).

A similar logic applies to each individual Bond era. Some, like Timothy Dalton's brisk run as the world's most dashing secret agent, are over in the blink of an eye. Others, like Daniel Craig's modern reboot, actually demand a specific order to be fully appreciated. But Sean Connery, the first James Bond...

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The Daniel Craig era of James Bond changed up the many decades-long film series in a number of different ways. Most notably was its tonal shift, steering further away from the goofier and campier elements of the series that the "Austin Powers" trilogy had so much fun lampooning. After all, once you make "Die Another Day," the only direction you can go is a more grounded one. But there had been serious James Bond films before, such as the earliest Sean Connery films or the Timothy Dalton era. The bigger change the Craig films made was taking a page out of the modern franchise booklet, and that was serialization.

The first 20 James Bond films may have brought actors and filmmakers over from one film to another, but the plots of those films rarely carried over. Part of the pleasure of...

Of all the James Bond movies, "Die Another Day" is perhaps the most detested. Maybe you think it's an underrated Bond film deserving of more respect, but the prevailing view of this early 2000s outing is that of a truly shameful blunder in the canon. Of course, perspectives shift over time. At one point, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was treated with similar derision to "Die Another Day," and now George Lazenby's only outing in the tux is viewed as one of the best in Bond's 60-year on-screen run. But there's something about "Die Another Day" that I can't help but feel will forever keep it from achieving the same respect.

The ice palaces, invisible cars, and Korean colonels using plastic surgery to transform into insufferable British toffs, are all beyond ridiculous. But they're funny, and Bond has been funny and lighthearted at various points throughout his career to great effect.

Few fictional characters don't require an introduction. James Bond is one of them. 

Across 25 films, produced over 60-plus years, Ian Fleming's debonair, dangerous, and dashing spy has been at the center of a cinematic legacy that defies the odds. Perhaps only Sherlock Holmes offers comparison -- a character so iconic, so popular, so fully-formed, but also so flexible that it's impossible to imagine the modern pop culture landscape with him. Agent 007 set the standard. And then resets it every decade or so.

Of course, a character this important (to both fans and the producers crafting his movies) needs an actor capable of filling that tux and wielding that pistol. And here's the truth: There has never been a bad Bond actor. Sure, there have been plenty of terrible James Bond movies, but no actor has actually embarrassed themselves or the franchise. They've all shown up. They all understood the assignment.

The James Bond film series has never been known for its fealty to the original Ian Fleming source material, which comprise 12 novels and two short story collections. There have since been other books too, more than two dozen, in fact, all written by different authors. But the movies have only glancingly touched on them. Although some of the initial 007 films stayed fairly faithful to the source novels, the franchise began to veer away from the Fleming tales by the mid-1960s, only intermittently returning to them.

Intriguingly, recent (if dubious) rumors have suggested that Eon Productions has reached out to Christopher Nolan about directing the next two films in the series, which would also introduce a new Bond, but there’s no official word on what direction the property will take. There has been speculation that Nolan himself would like to go back to the books, period setting and all,...

Terence Young's 1963 triumph "From Russia with Love" was the James Bond series' first sequel, and, 60 years later, it's still considered by many 007 aficionados to be one of franchise's finest installments. It's a brisk, surprisingly brutal film. The gadgetry popularized by 1964's "Goldfinger" (and launched well over the top by 1965's "Thunderball") is kept to a sensible minimum; for the most part, this is a revenge film in which our licensed-to-kill protagonist is lured into an elaborate defection plot designed to knock him off for having killed Spectre's Dr. No in the first movie. Narratively, it's as small potatoes as the mostly maligned "Casino Royale" follow-up "Quantum of Solace" (a revenge film in the other direction), but, at the time, it had the advantage of working within an unformed universe.

"From Russia with Love" has two of the Bond series' oddest highlights: the sexualized Turkish settlement brawl between Martine Beswick and Aliza Gur,...

October has arrived, and Amazon Prime Video is not lacking in great new movies to stream this month. The bulk of the James Bond library is available to stream on Prime Video starting on Oct. 1, so pick your favorite era and play your marathon accordingly. There’s also a bona fide new release hitting just in time for Spooky Season – the 1980s-set time travel horror film “Totally Killer,” starring “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” lead Kiernan Shipka. And the Nicolas Cage Dracula film “Renfield” also hits Prime Video this month.

Whether you’re looking for scares, thrills or a classic rom-com, we’ve got you covered. Check out our picks for the best new movies on Amazon Prime Video in October 2023 below.

The James Bond Franchise Eon

Ok so this is more than one film, but if you’re a James Bond fan you can now stream a slew of entries...

There’s a lot to watch on Prime Video in October and, as you may have guessed, there’s spooky stuff galore in amongst Prime’s usual rotation of extensive library content.

In the movie Totally Killer, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Kiernan Shipka travels back in time to the 1980s to stop a serial killer. Then there’s Make Me Scream, a Halloween special that challenges celebrities to “a gruesome game of terror.” Renfield will also be streaming on the service for anyone who’s been dying (muahahaha!) to catch the Nic Cage Dracula film.

Outside of Prime Video’s more creepy fare, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods will debut, Upload will be back for a third season, and new film Awareness should scratch your sci-fi itch. Meanwhile, for Frasier heads – those who consider themselves utterly Frasier-pilled – all eleven seasons of the Cheers spinoff show will be streaming at the touch of a button.

If you’re looking for a complete list of every new movie and TV show coming to Amazon Prime Video in October, you’ve come to the right place. This month kicks off with a slew of great library additions, from James Bond films to relatively new releases (“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and the Nicolas Cage Dracula movie “Renfield”) and beyond.

There are also some high-profile originals landing in October. The third season of the sci-fi comedy series “Upload” arrives on Oct. 20, while Oct. 6 marks the release of the Prime Video original film “Totally Killer,” a fun slasher set in the 1980s that stars Kiernan Shipka.

Check out the full list of what’s new on Amazon Prime Video in October 2023 below, followed by a complete list of new arrivals for Freevee in October as well.

Arriving October 1

Frasier, Seasons 1-11 (1994)

Hit, Season 3 (2020)

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

A Guy Thing...

Update: Well, that was fast but a knowledgeable source has reached out to us to say that this rumour is “1000% fantasy” and not at all true. Nolan is not in discussions with Eon to take on the James Bond films, and indeed, the rumour below did seem too good to be true. The fact is, with Oppenheimer having grossing over $900 million worldwide, Nolan’s next project can be – well – whatever he wants. Would he really tie himself to a franchise at this point in his career? It’s unlikely. Chalk this one up to wishful thinking as far as us James Bond fans go. Oh well, it was fun thinking about it while it lasted!

Original Post: The name’s Nolan…Christopher Nolan. The Dark Knight director has made it no secret that the James Bond movies, particularly On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, has been a huge influence on his filmmaking.

When it comes to the Sean Connery James Bond movies, the highest praise is usually reserved for "Goldfinger" or "Dr. No." The latter was, of course, Bond's on-screen debut, while the former introduced so many of the trademarks we've come to expect from the franchise, it's arguably even more of a Bond blueprint than "Dr. No."

But while it might not be considered the greatest James Bond film, Connery's fourth outing in the tux, "Thunderball," is a significant entry in the saga. The fourth Bond movie made $141 million, making it the most successful Bond at the time — a title it retained (adjusting for inflation) until 2012's "Skyfall." "Thunderball" was also the last time director Terrence Young would oversee a 007 movie, having helped define the character's fashion sense, humor, and bon vivant persona with "Dr. No." But the fourth Bond outing is also significant for the behind-the-scenes controversy that accompanied it.

To clarify right away, James Bond, Jr. (Corey Burton), the title character from a barely-remembered 007-adjacent 1991 animated series, is not the son of James Bond. More confusingly, James Bond, Jr. is actually the nephew of James Bond. "He learned the game from his uncle James," the theme song makes very clear. This means that James Bond did indeed have a brother, but also that his brother was named James as well ...?

As of this writing, "James Bond Jr." is the only TV adaptation to date of Ian Fleming's ultra-popular James Bond book series. It came at a fascinating time in the history of the James Bond franchise, as Timothy Dalton's two-film run had come to an end, and a messy rights dispute behind the scenes kept Bond off the big screen for years. It also likely didn't help that the Berlin Wall fell in November of 1989, calling...

A film journalist has claimed on social media that Christopher Nolan is set to direct two Bond films, led by Daniel Craig’s as-yet-unnamed successor. The tweet, which has not been verified by any official source, has sparked a lot of speculation and excitement among fans of the spy franchise and the acclaimed director.

According to the tweet, Nolan has signed a deal with MGM and Eon Productions to write and direct two James Bond films, which would be the 26th and 27th entries in the series. The tweet also suggests that Nolan has already chosen his preferred actor to play the next 007, but does not reveal the name.

No Time To Die Trailer

Nolan is no stranger to the Bond world, as he has often expressed his admiration for the series and its influence on his own work. His films Inception and Tenet have been compared to Bond films,...

The world was a drastically different place when the James Bond film series kicked off in 1962 with "Dr. No." Gender roles were still set in stone. It was a man's world, one in which women were expected to keep a clean and orderly house while the breadwinner put in his forty hours a week. Should a woman seek employment outside of the home, it's because they were single and could type or file up a storm.

In movies, unmarried women tended to be tragic figures or femme fatales (when they weren't queens or goddesses). If they weren't desperate for a good man to make them whole, they were hellbent on compromising and destroying one. Or they were tools of wealthy, nefarious men, like the Bond girls. Beginning with Ursula Andress' Honey Ryder, the Bond girl was typically a femme fatale who helplessly fell for the British secret agent's rough charm...

Of all the James Bond movies, "The Man with the Golden Gun" isn't the most beloved. Debuting to lackluster reviews in 1974, following the success that was '73's "Live and Let Die," Roger Moore's sophomore outing as Bond failed to dazzle audiences who were growing weary of the franchise.

The producers had a rough time replacing Sean Connery, who'd come to define the character with his run as England's greatest spy, before departing the series and being replaced by Aussie actor George Lazenby. While Lazenby did a solid job in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," he too left the role after his one and only appearance, after which Connery returned for the less than stellar "Diamonds Are Forever."

Unfortunately, Connery would once again leave the role that helped launch his career following this brief return, clearing the way for Roger Moore to take on the mantle with "Live and Let Die.

It’s a case of one score to rule them all, as Howard Shore’s stirring epic soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings trilogy was voted the U.K.’s favorite movie music.

Shore’s score for the Rings film, which has won three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes and four Grammys, came out ahead of some of the greatest and most recognizable soundtracks of all time, including John Williams’ music for Schindler’s List and Star Wars, which came second and third respectively.

The list of the top 100 film scores was compiled by popular U.K. radio station Classic FM, as part of their annual Movie Music Hall of Fame. More than 10,000 people voted for this year’s edition and the winner was revealed on Sunday by Jonathan Ross, the former presenter of the BBC’s Film program.

“Many thanks to all the Classic FM listeners,” Shore told...

The Daniel Craig era of James Bond movies started strong with Martin Campbell's "Casino Royale" in 2006. Audiences reacted incredibly well to the gruffer, more brutal version of the character, as he fit handily into the world's post-9/11 political hopelessness. A dandyish cartoon James Bond did not fit into the zeitgeist of the '00s, and the character became Dionysian and brutish rather than Apollonian and refined. 

The Craig Bond films also introduced a novel concept into the franchise: each film was a direct sequel of the one that preceded it. Ordinarily, Bond films stood on their own, not requiring much knowledge of the films that came before. Now, bad guys could be set up in one picture only to pay off in a later chapter. 

Sam Mendes' 2015 film "Spectre" was a prime example of this. Throughout the preceding three movies, James Bond discovered increasingly suspicious clues that a massive...