There have been 25 films produced since the series began-as well as two notorious off-shoots from rival producers who got their hands on a couple of Ian Fleming novels not exclusively in the purview of Eon. In the age of shared universes and interconnected blockbusters, Bond quizzically resembles his bespoke suits: the action movie franchise that feels handcrafted and made to order.
These days he feels like a throwback to a forgotten type of action movie. The times change the world changes 007 does not. Nonetheless, Eon and the James Bond character have remained preternaturally consistent, reliably turning out new adventures, and ever creating new fans from one generation to the next. Back when it started, Eon Productions (originally helmed by producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Satlzman) were releasing a new Bond movie every year more recently, we’re lucky if we get the next one every couple of years. The James Bond franchise has been one of the most important, and certainly among the longest, in film history. It’s been six full decades since Sean Connery looked up from a handful of cards and announced, “The name’s Bond, James Bond.” All this time later, and despite hearing that catch phrase being repeated in oh, so many variations, we’re still hanging onto every word.
