20 Years Later, The Most Effective Franchise Reboot Is Coming Back to Theaters
Depending on who you ask, the search for the new James Bond is finally nearing its end. That means we’re that much closer to seeing what director Denis Villeneuve — and Amazon Prime, which now owns the rights to the Bond property — has in store for the character. If it feels like it’s been a long time coming, that’s because it definitely has. While we got a great Bond story in the form of a video game earlier this year, it’s been five years since we last saw 007 on the big screen, and 20 since the Bond cycle reset with a new origin story in Casino Royale.
Exciting as it will be to start fresh, it’s not so easy saying goodbye to the last Bond, Daniel Craig. The actor only starred in five films, but he’s technically held the role longer than any actor who came before him. 15 years was more than enough time to get attached; it doesn’t hurt that his batch of films are among the strongest in the franchise’s history. Craig’s incarnation of Bond (with the help of some talented directors) reimagined this spy saga as one that could take itself a little more seriously, a sorely needed pivot after installments that featured race-swap surgery and tsunami-surfing. Casino Royale might be one of the most successful “gritty reboots” we got in the 2000s... and before a new Bond officially takes on the mantle, we’ll be able to relive it in theaters one more time.
On November 17, 2026, Casino Royale officially turns 20. Just ahead of that milestone anniversary, Amazon MGM Studios is bringing it back to the big screen. According to the official 007 account on X, the anniversary screenings will take place sometime in October. More specific details about the re-release window are likely coming soon from Amazon MGM.
The end of the Craig era is still pretty bittersweet, but it also feels fitting to go back to its beginning just before Amazon MGM turns the page. Though Skyfall is without a doubt the splashiest and most celebrated of Craig’s Bond films, Casino Royale made its success possible. Bringing Bond back to square one was no easy feat, but director Martin Campbell (who also helmed Pierce Brosnan’s first outing, GoldenEye) found greatness by forgoing the polish and reintroducing the character as a rough-and-tumble agent still earning MI6’s trust. Craig’s brittle take on Bond has likewise become the defining version of the character for a whole generation. There may never be another like him, but at least we get to enjoy his first performance in theaters before the new guard rolls in.