Sony's Failed Bid To Launch A Rival James Bond Movie Series Explained
Sony once planned to make a rival James Bond movie franchise — here's why those plans came to nothing. James Bond made his cinematic debut in 1962's Dr. No, with Sean Connery's Bond becoming instantly iconic. Connery's star power combined with the franchise's blend of action, glamor and gadgets made it the first real movie franchise, which has been running for 60 years and counting. Connery famously fell out of love with both the character and the producers behind the series and exited following 1967's You Only Live Twice (which changed a lot from the novel).
In the years that followed, actors like Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig — who ended his run with 2021's No Time To Die — have put that mark on the role. While James Bond movies can vary wildly in quality, from the superb The Spy Who Loved Me to the lambasted Die Another Day, the series has always been able to reinvent itself for a new generation. The EON-produced Bond movies are considered canon, though there are two other 007 adventures in existence; 1967 James Bond parody Casino Royale starring David Niven and Peter Sellers and 1983's Never Say Never Again.
Related: James Bond 26 Needs To Bring Back The Franchise’s Best Villain Twist
Following the success of the James Bond movie series, there have been several high-profile lawsuits over the property. The most well-known involves the book Thunderball, which author Ian Fleming originally developed as a screenplay with the intent of making it the first Bond movie. He later adapted that script into a novel, leading to a lawsuit by writers Jack Whittingham and Kevin McClory, who developed the project with the author. The lawsuit was settled out of court, awarding McClory screenplay rights to Thunderball,
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