September 17, 2026 | 04:15 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Fans of 007 are caught in a debate over who should get to play James Bond next, and while that's happening, the superspy sneaks back into the cinemas. On Tuesday, Amazon MGM announced the worldwide theatrical return of Casino Royale in October, in celebration of its 20th anniversary.
Released in 2006, Casino Royale was the first James Bond movie to be led by beloved actor Daniel Craig, until his final appearance in 2021 for No Time to Die.
In between, Craig starred in 3 other James Bond sequels, namely Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), and Spectre (2015).
While Skyfall marks the highest-grossing James Bond movie of all time, it was Casino Royale that redefined the franchise for a new generation of audiences to come, rebooting the universe as it went back to Bond's origin story rather than maintaining a sense of continuity as previous James Bond movies tend to do, the digital publication CBR noted.
To refresh memory, the plot of Casino Royale follows a young James Bond, who just received his "license to kill," as he heads to Madagascar and trails Le Chiffré, a financier of terrorist organizations. The movie was directed by Martin Campbell, with screenwriters Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Paul Haggis.
Alongside Daniel Craig, Casino Royale stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, and Jeffrey Wright.
The movie currently sits at a 94% critics' score and a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, earning it a "certified fresh" seal of approval. Overall, it earned over $616 million in the worldwide box office and is expected to rake in more cash upon re-release.
But as moviegoers bask in Craig's magnificent performance as the British secret service agent, the question remains: who will take on his mantle?
As reported by Collider, several names linked before include actors like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Jack Lowden, who many consider to be the strongest contender.
The new film will be headed by Dune director Denis Villeneuve, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight tapped as the screenwriter. He confirmed last week that the first draft of the script had been completed, after hinting that he knew who had been cast as the new James Bond.
In the meantime, fans can revisit Craig's James Bond debut in Casino Royale on October 20. The UK re-release is handled by Park Circus, with screenings starting from October 2.
Read: Gary Oldman Hints Studio Has Chosen the Next James Bond
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