The agent James Bond, “007″ originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. It is one of the longest continually-running film series in history, having been in on-going production from 1962 to the present (with a six-year hiatus between 1989 and 1995). In that time Eon Productions has produced 23 films, most of them at Pinewood Studios. As of March 2013, the series has grossed just over US$6 billion, making it the second-highest-grossing film series (behind Harry Potter), and the single most successful adjusted for inflation. Six actors have portrayed 007 in the Eon series, the latest being Daniel Craig.
Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman co-produced most of the Eon films until 1975, when Broccoli became the sole producer. The single exception during this period was Thunderball, on which Broccoli and Saltzman became executive producers while Kevin McClory produced. From 1984 to 1989 Broccoli was joined by his stepson Michael G. Wilson as producer until 1995, when Albert Broccoli stepped aside from Eon and was replaced by his daughter Barbara, who has co-produced with Wilson since. Broccoli’s (and until 1975, Saltzman’s) family company, Danjaq, has held ownership of the series through Eon, and maintained co-ownership with United Artists since the mid-1970s. The Eon series has seen continuity both in the main actors and in the production crews, with directors, writers, composers, production designers, and others employed through a number of films.
From the release of Dr. No (1962) to For Your Eyes Only (1981), the films were distributed solely by United Artists. When Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer bought United Artists in 1981, MGM/UA Entertainment Co. was formed and distributed the films until 1995. MGM solely distributed three films from 1997 to 2002 after United Artists retired as a mainstream studio. From 2006 to present MGM and Columbia Pictures have co-distributed the film series, following the 2005 acquisition of MGM by a consortium led by Columbia’s parent company, Sony Pictures Entertainment. In November 2010 MGM filed for bankruptcy; following its emergence from insolvency, Columbia has been co-production partner of the series with Danjaq.
Independently of the Eon series, there have been three additional productions with the character of James Bond: a 1954 American television adaptation, Casino Royale, produced by CBS; a 1967 spoof, Casino Royale, produced by Charles K. Feldman; and a 1983 remake of Thunderball entitled Never Say Never Again, produced by Jack Schwartzman, who had obtained the rights to the film from Kevin McClory.
