Hollywood has seen a long list of movie franchises with several of these lasting for many years and even running into decades. Many of these movie franchises have had tons of spin-off with new ones premiering over many years throughout the decades.
The James Bond movie franchise is one of the few Hollywood franchises that has run for decades with well over 20 different movies being made. It's easy to think that the James Bond movie franchise is the longest running movie franchise seeing as it has had an over 50-year duration but would that be true?
Are the James Bond movies the longest running series?
The James Bond movie franchise is one one of the longest continually running series in the history of film but it is not the longest! The franchise has been surpassed only by Godzilla which has been on air for more than 66 years. The James Bond franchise has only been running from 1962 to date with a six year gap between 1989 and 1985 while the first Godzilla movie was aired in 1954!
The Godzilla movie franchise also has more films than James Bond as it has 36 films that have been released.
James Bond is a spy series which follows the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond, also known as 007. This series is loosely based on a series of books by Ian Fleming but as the number of films has increased the storyline has gotten further and further away from the books.
Most of the Eon films were produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman until 1975. Broccoli took over producing these films at this time until 1984 when his stepson Michael Wilson joined him. By 1995, Broccoli let his daughter, Barbara, co-produce the films with Wilson. The Eon series has continued since then with the production crews and main actors while a variety of writers, directors, production designers, composers and others have been employed for different films.
There have been three additional productions with the James Bond character independent of the Eon series. There has been Casino Royale, the American TV adaptation produced by CBS in 1954. There has been a spoof, Casino Royale produced by Charles K. Feldman in 1967. And, there has also been a remake of Thunderball titled Never Say Never Again produced by Jack Schwartzman in 1987.
If you are interested in getting the first 23 movies from the actual Eon series you can find that box set by clicking here.
Titles in the James Bond movie franchise
There are currently 24 EON James Bond films that have been released with the 25th scheduled to be released in the fall of 2020. These films are:
#1 Dr. No (1962)
This is the first James Bond movie title. It is based on Ian Fleming's novel Dr. No. This film follows the life of James Bond who is sent to Jamaica to look into the disappearance of a fellow British agent. This assignment leads him to an underground base where he finds Dr. No who is planning to use a radio beam weapon to disrupt the early launch of an American Space shuttle.
#2 From Russia with Love (1963)
James Bond has deliberately fallen into an assassination plot which involves an inexperienced Russian beauty. His aim is to regain a Soviet encryption device earlier stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
#3 Goldfinger (1964)
This film has James Bond investigating the smuggling of a gold magnate. In the process, he discovers a plan to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve
#4 Thunderball (1965)
James Bond is going to the Bahamas to retrieve two nuclear warheads which S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Agent Emilio Largo stole in an international extortion plan.
#5 You Only Live Twice (1967)
Agent 007 and a Japanese secret service ninja force have to find the culprit of a spacejackings series and stop him before it causes a nuclear war.
#6 On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
James Bond faces Blofeld who's plotting to hold the world ransom using a threat to sterilize the entire food supply of the world through some brainwashed angels of death. In the course of this, Bond meets and falls in love with Contessa Teresa who he eventually marries.
#7 Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Bond is impersonating a diamond smuggler to infiltrate a smuggling ring. He soon uncovers an evil plot by his one-time nemesis Ernst Blofeld, a rich business tycoon who wants to build a space based laser weapon with diamonds.
#8 Live and Let Die (1973)
British agents have been mysteriously dying and Bond is sent to New York to investigate this. On this trip, he meets a tarot card reader and a voodoo master.
#9 The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
James Bond has an assignment to retrieve a device that harnesses solar energy. In the midst of this, he is targeted by the world's most expensive hired killer, Fransisco Scaramanga.
#10 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
The Royal Navy Polaris submarine bearing sixteen nuclear warheads has disappeared mysteriously. With this event, James Bond is collaborating with Major Anya Amasova, having killed Amasova's lover in Austria.
#11 Moonraker (1979)
A space shuttle loaned to the United Kingdom has been hijacked. James Bond is tasked with finding the root of the problem.
#12 For Your Eyes Only (1981)
A British vessel carrying a weapons encryption device has gone missing. James Bond is tasked with finding it and preventing it from falling into the hands of the government’s enemies.
#13 Octopussy (1983)
James Bond is set to stop an attack on NATO. In the course of this, he uncovers an international jewel smuggling operation led by an Obscure leader, Octopussy whose help he would need.
#14 A View to a Kill (1985)
James Bond is tasked with foiling the lethal plot of Max Zorin to kill all of his competitors in Silicon Valley.
#15 The Living Daylights (1987)
An arms dealer is plotting with a Soviet general to start another world war with a view to making a profit. James Bond has to travel across several continents to confront and overcome this arms dealer.
#16 Licence to Kill (1989)
In this movie James Bond goes on his own personal revenge tour to try and find his best friend’s wife’s killer.
#17 GoldenEye (1995)
James Bond must save the world from an outer space weapon while also fighting against agent 006.
#18 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
A news media businessman wants to broadcast all over the world but cannot get into China. Rather than taking that he instead tries to start a war between China and the rest of the world.
#19 The World Is Not Enough (1999)
James Bond is assigned as the protection for an oil tycoon's daughter. He must fight against a villain who is unable to feel pain to try and save the world’s oil supply.
#20 Die Another Day (2002)
James Bond is captured by North Korea and after being released must find the person in his own organization who put him there.
#21 Casino Royale (2006)
Bond must win in a high stakes poker game to topple Le Chiffre’s organization.
#22 Quantum Of Solace (2008)
Bond hunts down the person who was blackmailing his lover. He must navigate through a variety of less than truthful people to eventually try and save the world.
#23 Skyfall (2012)
When MI6 is exposed they must all go underground so M calles on James Bond to make it right.
#24 Spectre (2015)
James Bond follows a trail to Mexico and Rome where he eventually discovers that he is up against an organization called Spectre.
#25 No Time To Die (2020)
James Bond must rescue a captured scientist while trying to capture a mysterious villain.
Conclusion
The James Bond movie series is currently 25 movies long if you don’t include the extra movies that are not considered “official films”. Even with 25 movies and spanning almost 60 years it is still only the second longest running franchise behind Godzilla which is over 66 years since the first movie aired.
We sell the boxset of the first 23 movies on DVD (ending with Skyfall) in one amazing boxset for only $97.99! You can read the reviews or learn more when you click here.
