Why Sean Connery's Final Bond Movie Isn't Considered 'Official'
James Bond is cinema’s greatest spy, and it’s not even a contest. Before Amazon/MGM took the franchise over, Eon was the production company that delivered decades of cinematic spy adventures. But 1983 marked the weirdest moment in Bond’s history, when Sean Connery returned for one more unofficial role.
Never Say Never Again (1983) is very much a glorified remake of Thunderball (1965). But it’s unique in featuring Sean Connery as Bond one last time. While it’s not canon, it’s history’s most important Bond film for how it impacted the franchise forever.
It All Started With ’Thunderball’
The fourth film in the James Bond movie franchise, Thunderball, was inspired by the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. But what should’ve been a simple adaptation was instead the most controversial Bond story because of how it came to be.
Fleming, screenwriter Jack Whittingham, and producer Kevin McClory worked on a script for a film that ultimately became too expensive to produce. Instead, Fleming adapted the story into a Bond novel that would become Thunderball. But without crediting McClory or Whittingham, it caused a major legal dispute. McClory sued Fleming for the story and the character of Blofeld and his organization, SPECTRE. The case was eventually settled, and McClory helped produce Thunderball with Eon but couldn’t make another adaptation for 10 years after Thunderball’s 1965 release.
A Lawsuit Led to a Bitter Remake in ’Never Say Never Again’
Never Say Never Again was more than a James Bond remake because it was an honest attempt at creating a splinter canon fueled by bitterness over the past. The first blow came by bringing back Sean Connery as James Bond, who hadn’t played the character since Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Connery’s exit came after a fallout with the producer of the franchise, Albert Broccoli, and his joining the cast of Never Say Never Again was a major statement.
Directed by The Empire Strikes Back (1980) director Irvin Kershner, the film was meant to both reexamine the Thunderball plot while playing on Bond’s older age. It’s a unique angle that still hasn’t been explored in the main canon. The production may have been hectic, but the film ultimately released and not without competition.
’Never Say Never’ Again Challenged Another Bond Film
1983 was the second time in cinematic history that two versions of James Bond went head to head, if you’re willing to count the comedic Peter Sellers film, Casino Royale, in 1967. But this time, it was Never Say Never Again versus Roger Moore’s Octopussy (1983), a film that featured Moore solely for Eon to maintain consistency against a name like Connery.
Never Say Never Again was released after Octopussy and was ultimately considered one of the more mid-level Bond films rather than a rousing success. The film failed to start a new franchise, but possibly succeeded in McClory getting his due after his feud with Fleming. Octopussy performed better, but Never Say Never Again has since been remembered as an honest shot being taken by another creator that never took off.
’Never Say Never’ is a Strange Part of James Bond Lore
Over 40 years later, Never Say Never Again remains a one-hit wonder as a Sean Connery Bond film that is both his last turn as the character and also a non-canon entry. Its existence also kept names like Blofeld and SPECTRE in a legal bind until Daniel Craig’s Spectre (2015). Thunderball is one of the best Bond films out there, but also the catalyst for one of the weirdest eras of Bond.
Eon saw Bond through different decades and generations with countless actors in the role, and now, Amazon/MGM is taking the reins and starting something new. But Never Say Never Again proved that anything could happen, and that includes starting a whole new franchise tied to the past but trying to create something new. It didn’t work, but it is unforgettable, and while it’s not the best film, it’s nice to see Connery leave the character on his terms.
