Summary

• Daniel Craig's Bond timeline was a departure from the classics and introduced a dramatic shift to the franchise.
• 2006's Casino Royal marked EON's reclamation of the James Bond story.
• The legal rights of the original book allowed for a 1967 spoof film, contrasting with Craig's authentic portrayal.

Daniel Craig led the Daniel Craig's James Bond timeline was distinctly different from that of his combined predecessors. Not only was the tone of Craig's Bond films a notable departure from that of the classic continuity, but the actor was also the first to play the part during the on-screen death of the character. However, the start of Craig's reign as 007 was just as meaningful as its dramatic conclusion.

James Bond canon has long been a topic of much debate. The many recastings of the franchise's leading man have led to discussions regarding whether all the movies take place within the same continuity. While there are good points on either side of the argument, what remains the clearest is that all of Daniel Craig's Bond movies are essentially exempt from this confusion. While the title of Craig's inaugural Bond film would seem to his character existing in an isolated universe, it's not for the reason that many would expect.

Daniel Craig's Casino Royale Movie Was EON Reclaiming The James Bond Story

2006 wasn't the first time Casino Royale was adapted for the big screen

When 2006's Casino Royale was released, long-standing fans of the character of James Bond may have already been very familiar with the title. Not only was the movie adapted from the first 007 book written by Ian Fleming in 1953, but a James Bond parody movie by the same name was also released in 1967. The 1967 movie had no affiliation with EON Productions, and was therefore not part of the larger James Bond canon. By the franchise repurposing the name and making a true adaptation of Fleming's work, the studio was essentially taking the title back.

The original Casino Royale movie was never intended to sit within the main EON universe. In fact, it was released the same year as Sean Connery's You Only Live Twice. However, the spoof still used recognizable character names, including James Bond himself, and Miss Moneypenny. The fact that it took 39 years for EON to make a Casino Royale movie after their competitors speaks volumes of the amount of alternative source material the studio had at its disposal.

EON only picked up the movie rights to Casino Royale in 1999.

Casino Royale Was The First James Bond Movie In 19 Years To Use An Ian Fleming Title

Daniel Craig brought back a long-missing trend

The 2006 Casino Royale movie wasn't just a milestone for reclaiming its title from a nearly 40-year-old parody movie. Daniel Craig's first appearance as 007 was also in the first movie to use a title from an Ian Fleming story in almost two decades. Before this, the last Bond movie to use a Fleming title was Timothy Dalton's The Living Daylights in 1987. The five movies that came between The Living Daylights and 2006's Casino Royale all had original names that weren't taken from Fleming's book titles.

The five movies that came between The Living Daylights and 2006's Casino Royale all had original names that weren't taken from Fleming's book titles.

The franchise bucking this trend went far beyond tradition. By the time of Daniel Craig's inaugural movie, the titles of all 14 of Ian Fleming's James Bond books had received a cinematic counterpart. The same is also true of Casino Royale, but this time, EON was responsible for adapting the first James Bond book written by the legendary author. So Craig's Casino Royale may not have been the first movie by that name, but it was the first attempt to tell the story in a way that wasn't looking for laughs.

Other than Casino Royale, no other James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig has had a Fleming title.

Why The 1967 Casino Royale Was Allowed To Be Made

Fleming's first James Bond book was legally adapted in 1967

At the time of the first Casino Royale being made, the source material was the only Bond book that wasn't legally owned by EON (Via Britannica). As such, the movie could be made without EON intervening. However, the Sean Connery Bond films were incredibly popular at the time of Casino Royale being made. Therefore, the writers of the non-canonical movie chose not to enter direct competition and created a spoof instead. Despite having a bigger budget than You Only Live Twice, Casino Royale did appallingly by comparison.

Even if EON did hold the rights to Casino Royale, this wouldn't necessarily have prevented the spoof from being made. Copyright law would prevent a direct adaptation of a novel if the rights aren't held by the studio. However, the laws surrounding parodies are slightly different. So, a comedic version such as the one that was made could arguably still have gone ahead. Either way, the original movie was critically panned, and thankfully, Daniel Craig was eventually able to bring the James Bond story to life in a much more authentic way.

Casino Royale (2006) is available to stream on Prime Video. The 1967 version of the movie is currently not on any streaming platforms.

Source: Britannica