James Bond 60th anniversary

October 5 is international James Bond Day, a celebration of all things 007. This year also commemorates 60 years of the high octane espionage franchise, which includes 25 official EON movies and two unsanctioned feature films


Bond author Ian Fleming did not want Connery for role, preferring David Niven, but was won over by Dr. No success

Bond movies are renowned for their spectacular stunts


Global box office* Rotten Tomatoes score

SEAN CONNERY
1 Dr. No (1962) $59.6m 95%
2 From Russia with Love (1963) $78.9m 97%
3 Goldfinger (1964) $124.9m 99%
4 Thunderball (1965) $141.2m 85%
5 You Only Live Twice (1967) $111.6m 74%
8 Diamonds Are Forever (1971) $116.0m 63%


DAVID NIVEN
6 Casino Royale (1967)† $41.7m 26%

Spy parody featuring ensemble cast (many of whom are uncredited), loosely based on Fleming’s 1953 novel of same name

Made independently of EON ‡ after rights holder Charles K. Feldman failed to strike deal with them


GEORGE LAZENBY
7 On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) $82.0m 81%

Lazenby says he was offered contract for six further Bond movies, but his agent advised him to turn it down – a decision he regrets

‡Danjaq, EON Productions’ holding company, did not always own rights to produce every James Bond movie


ROGER MOORE 
9 Live and Let Die (1973) $161.8m 65%
10 The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) $97.6m 40%
11 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) $185.4m 81%
12 Moonraker (1979) $210.3m 59%
13 For Your Eyes Only (1981) $195.3m 69%
14 Octopussy (1983) $187.5m 42%

Based on Thunderball story – movie rights not owned by EON

15 Never Say Never Again (1983)† $160.0m 71%
16 A View to a Kill (1985) $152.6m 37%


TIMOTHY DALTON
17 The Living Daylights (1987) $191.2m 73%
18 Licence to Kill (1989) $156.2m 79%


PIERCE BROSNAN 
19 GoldenEye (1995) $356.4m 80%
20 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) $339.5m 56%
21 The World Is Not Enough (1999) $361.7m 51%
22 Die Another Day (2002) $431.9m 56%


DANIEL CRAIG
23 Casino Royale (2006) $594.4m 94%
24 Quantum of Solace (2008) $591.7m 64%
25 Skyfall (2012) $1,110.5m 92%
26 Spectre (2015) $879.5m 63%
27 No Time To Die (2021) $760.0m 83%


*Does not account for inflation 
†Not official EON canon

 
WHERE NEXT FOR BOND?
EON producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson say next Bond is at least two years away because they are “reinventing who he is and that takes time”


Sources: 007.com, The Numbers, Rotten Tomatoes, Looper, Screen Rant, Empire
Pictures: Getty Images, 007.com, Creative Commons 
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