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5 - Bond Rebooted: The Transnational Appeal of the Daniel Craig James Bond Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2020

By
Huw D. Jones  and
Andrew Higson
Edited by
Jaap Verheul
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Summary

Abstract

The James Bond films starring Daniel Craig are amongst the most globally successful films of the twenty-first century. The transnational appeal of these films can only be partly explained by their textual attractions, such as the way they play out ideas of British identity. Much of their success depends on the business of Bond, from rights ownership to distribution. Focus group interviews with audiences in continental Europe also reveal an ambivalence about whether the Bond character and the Bond films are perceived as British or American. This ambivalence extends the appeal of the films to different audiences. This chapter therefore provides new insights into Bond's enduring transnational appeal.

Keywords: James Bond, audience research, British national identity, film distribution, film industry

James Bond may be a British agent, but the Bond film franchise is by any definition a global phenomenon. It is one of the longest running movie franchises, with 24 films dating back to the first release in 1962, and the second most lucrative franchise, amassing some $7 billion at box-offices around the world (The Numbers 2016a). According to the American Statistical Association, “20% of the world's population has seen at least one Bond film” (Young 2014).

The four most recent Bond films starring Daniel Craig as Agent 007—Casino Royale (UK/Czech Republic/USA/Germany/Bahamas: Martin Campbell 2006), Quantum of Solace (UK/USA: Marc Foster 2008), Skyfall (UK/USA: Sam Mendes 2012) and Spectre (UK/USA/Austria/Mexico/Italy/Morocco: Sam Mendes 2015)—continue the pattern of global success. Skyfall grossed $1.1 billion worldwide, making it the fifteenth most successful film of all time in terms of worldwide box office revenue (Box Office Mojo 2016a), and the most successful Bond film ever (The Numbers 2016b). Between them, the four Craig Bonds have taken over $3 billion at the worldwide box office, with all of them in the 125 highest-grossing films of all time (Box Office Mojo 2016a).

The Craig Bond films were conceived as a “reboot” of the Bond film franchise. Casino Royale is set at the beginning of Bond's career as Agent 007, and the story arc continues across Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Cultural Life of James Bond
Specters of 007
 , pp. 103 - 122
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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