Based on Ian Fleming’s novels and short stories,James Bondis a British MI6 spy with a license to kill and a fondness for women and martinis – always shaken, never stirred. Ever since he appeared on our movie screens in 1962 – dressed in a dapper tuxedo, playing cards while coolly lighting a cigarette – the 007 secret agent has become a cultural phenomenon.
61 years later, the Bond franchise shows no signs of slowing down. It’scast six different actors as 007and has produced a whopping 25 canon films (27 if you count the non-canon movies). But not all of these films are based on Ian Fleming’s stories. For this list, we perused Bond’s 61-year cinematic history and pinpointed which films aren’t based at all on Ian Fleming’s work.
Honorable Mentions
There are a handful of James Bond movies that have original stories but still incorporate elements, major characters, and scenes from Fleming’s stories. This technically means that they’re based on the author’s work, however loosely it may seem. For instance, althoughOctopussyborrows its title from Fleming’s short story collectionOctopussy and The Living Daylights, its plot is largely original.
The film does, however, borrow the titular character and her background from Fleming’s work and also adapts a scene from the story.License to Kill,which stars Timothy Dalton as 007, also has an original plot, though it draws on Ian Fleming’s source material, in particular his novelLive and Let Dieand his short story “The Hildebrand Rarity”, which is only one of four Fleming titles that have never been used for a James Bond movie.Die Another Day,which marked Pierce Brosnan’s final performance as 007, is another original story that borrows elements from Fleming’s novelsMoonrakerandThe Man with the Golden Gun.
And then, there’sSpectre. No villain in 007’s rogue’s gallery is more famous than Ernst Blofeld. He’s Bond’s archenemy, the Joker to 007’s Batman. Blofeld is the criminal mastermind behind SPECTRE, the villainous organization that aspires to world domination. SPECTRE and Blofield were recurring villains and major parts of Fleming’s novels. Not only did Blofeld and his top-secret organization appear inSpectre,but Sam Mendes, the film’s director, also changed Blofeld’s background by merging him with a character fromOctopussy and The Living Daylights.
Fleming’s short story features a character named Franz Oberhauser and mentions his father, Hannes Oberhauser, who Bond cites in the story as an important paternal figure in his life. Mendes used these elements inSpectreby combining Franz and Blofeld into one character and using Hanne’s close relationship with 007 as a starting point for Bond and Blofeld’s rivalry. Although these films do draw inspiration from Fleming’s work, we at least wanted to give them an honorable mention for their originality.
Goldeneye (1995)
Goldeneyewas the first movie in the James Bond franchise not to use any elements from Ian Fleming’s stories – aside from James Bond himself and his usual supporting cast, of course. The film does, however, borrow one aspect of the author’s life: Goldeneye is actually the name of Fleming’s estate on Oracabessa Bay in Jamaica.
Inspired by the Dissolution of the Soviet Union
Aside from that one small detail,Goldeneyeis an original story that was inspired by the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Here, 007’s past comes back to haunt him, as he attempts to stop a Russian crime syndicate from utilizinga deadly space-based weapon known as “GoldenEye”.
Goldeneye’srelease sparked a wave of original movies for the franchise. It also cast another new actor as James Bond: Pierce Brosnan, who often tops the rankings of 007 actors.Goldeneyealso introduced a new M, the codename for Bond’s boss and the chief of MI6. Here, M turned out to be a female, a great contrast to the womanizing Bond. Played perfectly by Judi Dench, this new version would go on to become thedefinitive M of the franchise. Dench’s role was even carried over into theCasino Royalereboot.RentGoldeneyeon Amazon Prime Video.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Tomorrow Never Dies
AfterGoldeneyebecame a box office smash, MGM made it their priority to capitalize on the film’s success and pump out a sequel as quickly as possible. The result was the underwhelmingTomorrow Never Dies, which was Pierce Brosnan’s second turn as 007. The movie follows Bond as he attempts to stop a power-hungry media mogul, Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce), from engineering world events to spark World War III.
Based on Rupert Murdoch and Ian Robert Maxwell
Tomorrow Never Diescomments on the dangerous power of the media. Andits villain is based on both News Corp media mogul Rupert Murdochand Ian Robert Maxwell, a British media proprietor, politician, and fraudster, who also happens to be the father of the infamous Ghislaine Maxwell. The film’s title was inspired by the Beatles' song “Tomorrow Never Knows” and was the first title not to bear any relation to Fleming’s life or work.RentTomorrow Never Dieson Amazon Prime Video.
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
The World is Not Enough
InThe World Is Not Enough,James Bond must stop an international terrorist who can’t feel pain and intercept his scheme to increase petroleum prices by triggering a nuclear meltdown. The film’s title is actually the translation of the motto on the Bond family coat of arms, which is mentioned in Fleming’s novelOn Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Loosely Inspired by a Small Amount of Source Material
That’s as close as this film gets to drawing inspiration from the source material – although Eon Productions probably could’ve used Fleming’s stories for this one.The World Is Not Enoughwas criticized for its mediocre writing, predictable plot, and uneven acting, especially from Bond girl Denise Richards.StreamThe World Is Not Enoughon Max.
Skyfall (2012)
Skyfallis regarded by many as one of 007’s best films. Here, James Bond is forced to look in the mirror as he tries to thwart a plot to cripple MI6 and assassinate M (Judi Dench), orchestrated by none other than a former MI6 secret agent. Over the course of 25 films and 61 years, very little is divulged about James Bond’s origins.
Who was he before becoming a secret agent? Where did he come from? Sam Mendes’Skyfallsheds light on Bond’s mysterious past. As it turns out, Skyfall isn’t a codename for a top-secret weapon or government operation. It’s the name of his family’s ancestral estate.
A Completely Original Idea
For the first time, we’re invited into the sprawling home where 007 grew up before his parents' untimely demise. Skyfall is never mentioned in any of Fleming’s stories, making this an original piece of the James Bond mythology. Its villain, Silva (Javier Bardem), is one of the best James Bond villains and fits so well into 007’s rogue’s gallery that he could’ve been created by Ian Fleming himself.StreamSkyfallon Max.
Related:The Best James Bond Movies to Watch if You’ve Never Seen One Before
No Time to Die (2021)
No Time to Die
It Has One Other Character from the Books
InNo Time to Die,James Bond comes out of retirement to take on a masked and dangerous villain from his love interest’s past.No Time to Diedoes feature a cameo from Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), who is a character from Fleming’s books. But aside from that, it’s very much an original story. Its most original aspect, however, is being the only film to actually kill James Bond.
No Time to Diemarks Daniel Craig’s last appearance as James Bond. The search for the next 007 is underway, withactor Aaron Taylor-Johnson allegedly being offered the role.RentNo Time to Dieon Amazon Prime Video.
