FollowingDie Another Day (2002), Eon decided toreboot the franchise,[5][6] attempting to provide a realistic and darker exploration of a less experienced and more vulnerable Bond.[7] Casting involved a widespread search for a new actor to succeedPierce Brosnan as Bond; the choice of Craig, announced in October 2005, initially proved controversial.Principal photography took place inthe Bahamas,Italy, theUnited Kingdom, and theCzech Republic, with interior sets built atPinewood Studios andBarrandov Studios, from January to July 2006. The film features primarily practical stuntwork as opposed to thecomputer-generated placements seen in otherBond films.
Casino Royale premiered at theOdeon Leicester Square on 14 November 2006, and was theatrically released first in the United Kingdom on 16 November, and in the United States a day later. The film received critical acclaim, with praise for Craig's reinvention of the character and the departure from the tropes of previousBond films. It grossed over $616 million worldwide, becoming the fourthhighest-grossing film of 2006 and the highest-grossingJames Bond film until the release ofSkyfall (2012). A sequel,Quantum of Solace, was released in 2008.
MI6 operative James Bond is promoted to00 agent status; his first assignment is to assassinate the traitorous MI6 section chief Dryden and his contact inPrague. In Uganda,Mr. White introduces Steven Obanno, a commander of theLord's Resistance Army, toLe Chiffre, an Albanian private banker to terrorists. Obanno entrusts Le Chiffre with $100million to invest. Using knowledge of his upcoming terrorist attack on aerospace manufacturer Skyfleet, Le Chiffreshorts the company's stock.
In Madagascar, Bond destroys an embassy while capturing and then killing a bomb maker named Mollaka. MI6 chiefM criticises Bond for causing an international incident and ignoring her orders to take Mollaka alive. Information on Mollaka's phone leads Bond to the Bahamas and corrupt Greek official Alex Dimitrios, who had hired Mollaka to bomb Skyfleet's prototype airliner at Le Chiffre's request. After winning Dimitrios's vintageAston Martin in a poker game and seducing his wife Solange, Bond pursues Dimitrios toMiami. Bond fights off an attack by Dimitrios and kills him. At the airport, Bond chases down the new bomber Dimitrios has hired and prevents the destruction of the Skyfleet airliner. With the Skyfleet stock secure, Le Chiffre loses Obanno's money. Realising that somebody leaked the terrorist plot, Le Chiffre tortures Solange to death.
To recoup his clients' money, Le Chiffre organizes aTexas hold 'em tournament at the Casino Royale inMontenegro. MI6 enters Bond—the agency's best poker player—in the tournament, believing a defeat will force Le Chiffre to seekasylum with the British government in exchange for information on his clients. Bond is paired withVesper Lynd, a British Treasury agent overseeing the $10million buy-in. They meet their contact, French secret service agentRené Mathis, in Montenegro. Obanno, furious that his money was lost, threatens Le Chiffre, but allows him to continue playing to win back the money. Obanno and his bodyguard attack Bond, who kills them both. Bond loses his $10million stake after Le Chiffre is tipped off about his owntell. Vesper refuses to authorize an additional $5 million for Bond to continue, but fellow player andCIA agentFelix Leiter stakes Bond the money in exchange for letting the CIA arrest Le Chiffre. Le Chiffre's lover, Valenka, poisons Bond's drink but Vesper rescues him. Bond returns to the game and wins the tournament. Le Chiffre kidnaps Vesper to trap Bond and takes them to an abandoned ship. He tortures Bond to reveal the password to the bank account holding his winnings, but Bond resists. Mr. White bursts in and kills Le Chiffre, but spares Bond and Vesper.
Bond awakens in hospital and recovers with Vesper at his side. He has Mathis arrested, believing that he had tipped off Le Chiffre about his tell. Bond falls in love with Vesper and resigns from MI6, and the couple sail to Venice. When M reveals that his winnings were never transferred to the British treasury, Bond realizes that Vesper has betrayed him. He tracks her to an exchange of the money, where gunmen spot him and take her captive inside a gutted Venetian palace undergoing restoration and supported by large flotation devices. Bond destroys the flotation devices, causing the palace to lurch and sink into the Grand Canal, and kills the shooters. Vesper is trapped in the antique elevator cage as it submerges. Bond dives into the canal to rescue her, but she locks herself in to prevent him, causing her to drown. Bond later attempts toresuscitate her, but fails, and Mr. White escapes with the money.
M informs Bond, who has returned to service, that the organization behind Le Chiffre[n 1] threatened to kill Vesper's lover unless she became a double agent. When Bond denounces Vesper as a traitor, M reasons that she likely made a deal with White by trading the winnings for Bond's life. Realizing Vesper left her phone to help him, Bond checks the contacts and locates Mr. White at an estate in Lake Como. He shoots White in the leg to disable him and introduces himself: "The name's Bond, James Bond".
Daniel Craig asJames Bond: A British MI6 officer newly assigned 00 status, giving him a licence to kill. He is sent on a mission to arrest a bomb-maker inMadagascar, where he stumbles upon Le Chiffre's terrorist cell and is then sent to defeat him in a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale.
Eva Green asVesper Lynd: A British Treasury agent who falls in love with James Bond.
Mads Mikkelsen asLe Chiffre: A banker who services many of the world's criminals and terrorists and associate partner ofSPECTRE, he is a mathematical genius and expert chess player, using these skills when playing poker.
Judi Dench asM: The head of MI6. Although she feels she has promoted Bond too soon and chides him for his rash actions, she plays an important maternal figure in his life. Dench was the only cast member retained from the Pierce Brosnan films.
Simon Abkarian as Alex Dimitrios: A contractor in the international criminal underworld and associate of Le Chiffre, he is based in the Bahamas.
Ivana Miličević as Valenka: Le Chiffre's girlfriend and henchwoman, she accompanies him to the poker game.
Caterina Murino as Solange Dimitrios: Dimitrios's wife; Bond seduces her, causing her unintentionally to reveal one of his plans. After Bond kills Dimitrios, she is found tortured and killed.
Claudio Santamaria as Carlos: A terrorist employed by Le Chiffre to blow up an aircraft.
Sébastien Foucan as Mollaka: A bomb-maker pursued by Bond through a construction site in Madagascar. Credited in opening title cards under "Free running stunts".
Jeffrey Wright asFelix Leiter: A CIA operative, he is participating in the poker tournament while assisting Bond. This is the first Eon-produced Bond film in which Leiter is played by ablack actor. (Leiter was played by black actorBernie Casey inNever Say Never Again, which was not produced by Eon.)
DirectorQuentin Tarantino expressed interest in directing an adaptation ofCasino Royale,[14] but Eon was not interested. He claims to have worked behind the scenes with the Fleming family, and believed this was the reason why filmmakers finally went ahead withCasino Royale.[15] Tarantino also said he would have set it in the 1960s and would only have made it with Pierce Brosnan as Bond.
In February 2005,Martin Campbell, who previously directedGoldenEye (1995), was announced as the film's director.[16] Campbell feltNeal Purvis and Robert Wade's draft needed a rewrite, and suggested hiringPaul Haggis whose main contribution was to rewrite the climax of the film. Haggis explained, "the draft that was there was very faithful to the book and there was a confession, so in the original draft, the character confessed and killed herself. She then sent Bond to chase after the villains; Bond chased the villains into the house. I don't know why but I thought that Vesper had to be in the sinking house and Bond has to want to kill her and then try and save her."[17] Haggis also said they wanted "to do for Bond whatBatman Begins did for Batman."[18] Broccoli and Wilson thought that "Die Another Day had become too fantastical",[19] feeling the next film should be more realistic. Later that same year, Sony led a consortium that purchased MGM, allowing Sony to gain distribution rights starting with the film.[20] Broccoli also felt that frivolity didn't feel appropriate after the9/11 attacks.[21]
Eon believed that it had relied too heavily oncomputer-generated imagery effects in the more recent films, particularlyDie Another Day, and was keen to accomplish the stunts inCasino Royale "the old fashioned way".[22] In keeping with this drive for more realism, screenwriters Purvis, Wade and Haggis wanted the script to follow as closely as possible the original 1953 novel, keeping Fleming's darker storyline and characterization of Bond.[23]Due to copyright issues related to the ownership ofThunderball, the organization of which Mr White is a part is not initially established as SPECTRE. (Although this would later be retconned in the titular2015 film.)[24]
Pierce Brosnan fulfilled his original contract for four Bond films withDie Another Day (2002), and the producers invited him to return for a fifth film and was in negotiations to star inCasino Royale.[25][26] (Screenwriters Purvis and Wade confirmed that theirCasino Royale script was written with Brosnan in mind.[27]) Brosnan described how he found out that he had lost the role. He stated that he was working on another film inThe Bahamas when his agent informed him that negotiations had broken down with producersBarbara Broccoli andMichael G. Wilson. The producers were not quite sure what they wanted to do, and would contact Brosnan the following week.[28] During their phone conversation, Brosnan asked if he still had the role. Broccoli began to cry and responded, "We’re so sorry", while Wilson was stoic and said, "You were a great James Bond".[29] Later reports cited Brosnan's salary request as the reason he lost the role.[30][31]
ProducerMichael G. Wilson claimed over 200 names were being considered for Brosnan's replacement.[32]Hugh Jackman andChristian Bale were offered the role, but both turned it down. Jackman wanted to focus on other projects and Bale wasn't interested in starring in a franchise that he felt was "very British".[33][34]Croatian actorGoran Višnjić auditioned for the role the same day as Craig, but was reportedly unable to master anEnglish accent.[35] New ZealanderKarl Urban was considered, but was unable to make the screen test due to filming commitments.[36] According to Martin Campbell,Henry Cavill was the only other actor in serious contention for the role and had a "tremendous" audition, but at 22 years old, he was considered too young.[37][38] (Cavill would later say that Campbell turned him down because he thought Cavill was out of shape.[39]) Australian actorSam Worthington and Scottish actorDougray Scott were also considered.[40][41] Scottish actorSam Heughan, Welsh actorMatthew Rhys, and German-Irish actorMichael Fassbender also auditioned.[42][43][44][45] Fassbender suggested Daniel Craig for the role.[45] Scottish actorDavid Tennant was reportedly considered, although Tennant himself did not know he was on the shortlist until years later.[46] Campbell and casting directors Janet Hirshenson andJane Jenkins recalled meeting withAlex O'Loughlin,Julian McMahon,Ewan McGregor,Rupert Friend, andAntony Starr to discuss the role.[47]Clive Owen was approached for the role multiple times, but turned it down as he didn't know what he would have done with the character.[48] The producers also met withRalph Fiennes for the role, but declined as he didn't want to commit to a franchise.[49][50] Casting director Debbie McWilliams felt that the candidates for Bond in their 20s lacked charisma and maturity.[51]
In May 2005, British actor Daniel Craig stated that MGM, Wilson and Broccoli had assured him he would get the role.Matthew Vaughn told reporters MGM had offered him the opportunity to direct the new film, but at that point Eon Productions had not approached either Craig or Vaughn.[52] A year earlier, Craig rejected the idea of starring, as he felt the series had descended intoformula; only when he read the script did he become interested. Craig read all of Fleming's novels to prepare for the part, and citedMossad andBritish Secret Service agents who served as advisers on the set ofMunich as inspiring because, "Bond has just come out of the service and he's a killer. [...] You can see it in their eyes, you know immediately: oh, hello, he's a killer. There's a look. These guys walk into a room and very subtly they check the perimeters for an exit. That's the sort of thing I wanted."[53][54]
On 14 October 2005, Eon Productions, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and MGM announced at a press conference in London that Craig would be the sixth actor to portray James Bond. Taking time off from reshoots forThe Invasion, a business-suit clad, rather shag-haired Craig boarded aRoyal MarinesRigid Raider fromHMS Belfast before travelling toHMSPresident, where he was introduced to the world's press.[55][56] Controversy followed the decision, with some critics and fans expressing doubt the producers had made the right choice. Throughout the entire production period, Internet campaigns such as "danielcraigisnotbond.com" expressed their dissatisfaction and threatened to boycott the film in protest.[57] Craig, unlike previous actors, was not considered by the protesters to fit the tall, dark, handsome and charismatic image of Bond to which viewers had been accustomed.[58] TheDaily Mirror ran a front-page news story critical of Craig, with the headline,The Name's Bland – James Bland.[59] Craig was also asked to dye his hair brown for the role but he refused calling it "out of the question"; he instead suggested to cut his hair short for more a "brutal appearance".[60]
The next important casting was that of the leadBond girl, Vesper Lynd. McWilliams acknowledged Hollywood actressesAngelina Jolie andCharlize Theron were "strongly considered" for the role. Belgian actressCécile de France had also auditioned, but her English accent "wasn't up to scratch."[61] French actressAudrey Tautou was also considered, but not chosen because of her role inThe Da Vinci Code, which was anotherColumbia Pictures film released in May 2006.[62]Rachel McAdams turned down a role in the film to focus on raising her own family.[63]Olivia Wilde and French actressEva Green were the two finalists for the part.[64] On 16 February 2006, Green was announced to play the part.[65]
Craig with Michael G. Wilson in Venice during filming aboard SVSpirit
Principal photography forCasino Royale commenced on 3 January 2006 and concluded on 20 July 2006. The film was primarily shot atBarrandov Studios in Prague, with additional location shooting in the Bahamas, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The shoot concluded at Pinewood Studios.[66] Michael G. Wilson had statedCasino Royale would either be filmed or take place in Prague and South Africa. However, Eon Productions encountered problems in securing film locations in South Africa.[67] After no other locations became available, the producers had to reconsider their options. In September 2005, Martin Campbell anddirector of photographyPhil Méheux were scoutingParadise Island in the Bahamas as a possible location for the film.[68] On 6 October 2005, Martin Campbell confirmedCasino Royale would film in the Bahamas and "maybe Italy". In addition to the extensive location filming, studio work including choreography and stunt co-ordination practice was performed at theBarrandov Studios in Prague, and atPinewood Studios, where the film used several stages, the paddock tank, and the007 Stage. Further shooting in the UK was scheduled forDunsfold Aerodrome inSurrey, the cricket pavilion atEton College (although that scene was cut from the completed movie), and the Millbrook Vehicle Proving Ground inBedfordshire.[58]
After Prague, the production moved to the Bahamas. Several locations aroundNew Providence were used for filming during February and March, particularly on Paradise Island. Footage set inMbale, Uganda, was filmed atBlack Park, a country park inBuckinghamshire, on 4 July 2006. Additional scenes took place at Albany House, an estate owned by golfersErnie Els andTiger Woods.[69] The crew returned to the Czech Republic in April, and continued there, filming in Prague,Planá, andLoket, before completing in the town ofKarlovy Vary in May. Karlovy Vary was used as the exterior of the Casino Royale,[70] with theGrandhotel Pupp serving as "Hotel Splendide".[71]
The main Italian location wasVenice, where the majority of the film's ending is set. The scene with Bond on a sailboat was filmed aboard a 54-foot (16 m) yacht namedSpirit. She was constructed by Spirit Yachts inSuffolk, England, and had to be demasted to fit under various Venetian bridges to reach the filming location. For this reason, SVSpirit "was the first sailing boat to go up theGrand Canal in Venice for 300 years".[72]
Other scenes in the latter half of the film were shot in late May and early June at theVilla del Balbianello on the shores ofLake Como.[73] Further exterior shooting for the movie took place at properties such as theVilla La Gaeta, near the lakeside town ofMenaggio.[58]
A recreation of theBody Worlds exhibit provided a setting for one scene in the film. Among the Body Worlds plastinates featured in that scene were thePoker Playing Trio (which plays a key role in one scene) andRearing Horse and Rider. The exhibition's developer and promoter, German anatomistGunther von Hagens, also has a cameo appearance in the film,[74] although only his trademark hat is actually visible on screen.
In designing the credit sequence for the film, graphic designerDaniel Kleinman was inspired by the cover of the 1953 British first edition ofCasino Royale, which featured Ian Fleming's original design of a playing card bordered by eight red hearts dripping with blood. Kleinman said, "The hearts not only represent cards but the tribulations of Bond's love story. So I took that as inspiration to use playing card graphics in different ways in the titles," like a club representing a puff of gun smoke, and slashed arteries spurting thousands of tiny hearts.[75] In creating the shadow images of the sequence, Kleinman digitized the footage of Craig and the film's stuntmen on theInferno visual effects system, atFramestore CFC in London; the actors' silhouettes were incorporated into more than 20 digitally animated scenes depicting intricate and innovative card patterns. Kleinman decided not to use the female silhouettes commonly seen throughout the Bond title sequences, considering that the women did not fit with both the film's spirit and the storyline following Bond falling in love.[76]
For the rest of the film, special effects and miniature effects supervisorChris Corbould returned to a more realistic style of film making and significantly reduced digital effects. According to Corbould, "CGI is a great tool and can be very useful, but I will fight to the tooth and nail to do something for real. It's the best way to go".[66] Three scenes involving primarily physical effects in the film were the chase at a building site in Madagascar, theMiami Airport chase sequence, and the sinking Venetian house, with sets located on theGrand Canal and in Pinewood Studios.[66]
The first scenes shot were ones involving a Madagascar building site, shot in the Bahamas on the site of a derelict hotel with which Michael G. Wilson had become acquainted in 1977 during the filming ofThe Spy Who Loved Me.[66] In the scene, Bond drives adigger towards the building, slamming into the concrete plinth on which Mollaka is running. The stunt team built a model and put forward several ways in which the digger could conceivably take out the concrete, including taking out the pillar underneath. A section of the concrete wall was removed to fit the digger and reinforced with steel.[66]
The sequence at Miami International Airport was partly shot at theDunsfold Aerodrome, in Surrey, which is known from British car showTop Gear, with some footage from the Prague and Miami airports.[66] In filming the scene in which the engine thrust of the moving aircraft blows the police car high into the air, second unit director and cinematographerAlexander Witt, with help from second unit first assistant director Terry Madden and special effects floor supervisor Ian Lowe, used a crane with a strong lead cable attached to the rear bumper of the vehicle to move it up and backwards at the moment of full extension away from the plane.[66]
The Skyfleet S570 aircraft in the film was an ex-British Airways 747-200B G-BDXJ, which had its engines removed and was modified for its appearance in the film. The modified aircraft had the outboard engines replaced by external fuel tanks, while the inboard engines were replaced by a mock-up pair of engines on each inboard pylon. The cockpit profile was altered to make the 747 look like a prototype of an advanced airliner.[77]
The sinking of the Venetian house at the climax of the film featured the largest rig ever built for a Bond film,[66] with tank consisting of a Venetianpiazza and the interior of an abandoned house being constructed. The rig, weighing some 90 tons, incorporated electronics with hydraulic valves that were closely controlled by computer because of the dynamic movement within the system on its two axes. The same computer system also controlled the exterior model, which the effects team had built to one-third scale to film the building eventually collapsing into the Venetian canal. The model lift within the rig could be immersed in 19 feet (5.8 m) of water, and used banks of compressors to strictly regulate movement.[66]
Aston Martin DBS driven by Bond in the film
At the time of filming,Aston Martin was still in the final phases of designing theDBS. Aston Martin delivered two working 'hero' cars to the film. In addition to the two 'hero' cars, Aston Martin had to prepare, and reinforce to withstand impact, three former developmentDB9s for use as DBS look-a-like stunt cars for the scene involving the car crash. Also a white prototype DB9 manual was supplied to the film crew so that the stunt drivers had something to practice with.[78] Owing to the low centre of gravity of the vehicle, an 18-inch (450 mm) ramp had to be implemented on the road tarmac atMillbrook Proving Grounds and Adam Kirley, the stunt driver who performed the stunt, had to use anair cannon located behind the driver's seat to propel the car into a roll at the precise moment of impact. At a speed exceeding70 mph (113 km/h), the car rotated seven times while being filmed, and was confirmed by theGuinness Book of Records on 5 November 2006 as a newworld record.[66]
The soundtrack ofCasino Royale, released bySony Classical Records on 14 November 2006, featured music composed by veteran composerDavid Arnold, his fourth soundtrack for theBond film series, while Nicholas Dodd orchestrated and conducted thescore. Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced on 26 July 2006Chris Cornell had composed and would perform the title song, "You Know My Name".[79] The song's main notes are played throughout the film as a substitute for theJames Bond Theme, to represent Bond's youth and inexperience. The classic theme only plays in full during the end credits to signal the climax of his character arc.[80]
In a reported £14million deal between the film's production and car manufacturerFord, Ford's 2007 modelMondeo appeared in the film, driven by Bond.[81] BothSony andSony Ericsson also made deals, making prominent appearances of tech products in the film including aBlu-ray player,Vaio laptop,Cyber-shot camera,Walkman NW-HD5 digital music player, and aSony Ericsson K800i handset.[82]
Only two days following the premiere, unlicensed copies appeared for sale in London. "The rapid appearance of this film on the streets shows the sophistication and organisation behind film piracy in the UK," said Kieron Sharp, from theFederation Against Copyright Theft.[84] Infringing copies of the DVD were selling for less than £1.57. Craig himself was offered such a DVD while walking anonymously through the streets of Beijing wearing a hat and glasses to avoid being identified.[85]
In January 2007,Casino Royale became the first Bond film ever to be shown in mainland Chinese cinemas. The Chinese version was edited before release, with the reference to theCold War re-dubbed and new dialogue added during the poker scene explaining the process ofTexas hold 'em, as the game is less familiar in China (this addition is reminiscent of dialogue that was added to the1954 American TV adaptation to explain the rules ofbaccarat, the game featured in the original book).Casino Royale has earned approximately $11.7 million in China since its opening on 30 January on 468 screens,[86] including a record opening weekend collection for a non-Chinese film, with $1.5 million.[87]
Casino Royale was simultaneously released onDVD,UMD andBlu-ray bySony Pictures Home Entertainment on 16 March 2007.[89] In the UK,Casino Royale was released on 16 March 2007 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.[90] The DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases broke sales records: theRegion 1 Blu-ray Disc edition became the highest selling high-definition title to date, selling more than 100,000 copies since its release.[91] The region 2 DVD edition achieved the record of fastest selling title for its first-week release. The UK DVD has continued to sell well, with 1,622,852 copies sold since 19 March.[92] A copy of the Blu-ray Disc edition ofCasino Royale was given out to the first 500,000PALPlayStation 3 owners who signed up to thePlayStation Network.[93] The DVD was released in a separate two-disc widescreen and fullscreen editions,[94] both of which includes the official music video for the film, and three documentaries detailing how Daniel Craig was chosen for the role of Bond, the filming, and an expanded version of theBond Girls Are Forever documentary incorporating new interviews withCasino Royale cast members.
A three-disc edition ofCasino Royale on DVD was released in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2008, coinciding with the cinema release of the sequel,Quantum of Solace (the following week in the United States). As well as features present from the 2007 release, the collector's edition contains anaudio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes and a storyboard-to-film comparison.[95] A two-disc Blu-ray version also followed in late 2008, featuring additional supplementary materials, enhanced interactivity throughBD-Live, and the previous version's 5.1 PCM soundtrack was replaced with a similar 5.1 DolbyTrueHD soundtrack.[96]
Casino Royale was released a third time on Blu-ray in 2012 with DTS audio and deleted scenes, but it had fewer special features than the 2008 edition.[97] It was released on4K UHD Blu-ray on 25 February 2020.[98]
Casino Royale was censored for its release in the UK, the US, Germany and China.
In Britain, by omitting some of Le Chiffre's sadism and James Bond's reactions in the torture scene, the film received the desiredBBFC12A rating.[99] In the United States, two fight scenes were censored to achieve aPG-13 rating: the fight between Bond and the traitorous MI6 agent Fisher's contact, and the fight between Bond and Obanno in the stairway at the Casino Royale.[100]
The German edit of the film cuts a sequence where the bomb-planter at the airport breaks a man's neck, instead replacing it with an alternative take.[100] The mainland Chinese cut of the film also trims the torture scene and the stairway fight, as well as a shot of Bond cleaning his wound at the hotel, and a boat scene.
The fully uncensored version can be found on the Australian, Dutch, French, Hong Kong, Japanese, and Scandinavian Blu-ray and DVD releases, on UK Blu-ray releases from 2012 onwards (rated 15), and on the 4K UHD Blu-ray release (branded as an unrated "extended" cut).
Upon its release in the United Kingdom,Casino Royale broke series records on both opening day—£1.7 million[101]—and opening weekend—£13,370,969.[102] At the end of its box-office run, the film had grossed £55.4 million, making it the most successful film of the year in the UK,[103] and, as of 2011, thetenth-highest-grossing film of all time in the country.[104]
On its US opening day,Casino Royale was on top with $14.7 million; throughout the weekend, it grossed a total of $40.8 million, ranking narrowly second behindHappy Feet.[105] However,Casino Royale was playing in 370 fewer cinemas and had a better average ($11,890 per cinema, against $10,918 forHappy Feet).[106] It earned $167.4 million by the end of its run in North America,[4] becoming the highest-grossing film of the series, before being surpassed byQuantum of Solace's $168.4 million.[107]
On 18 November 2006,Casino Royale opened at the first position in 27 countries, with a weekend gross of $43.4 million in the non-UK, Irish, US and Canada markets.[108] The film retained the top spot at the worldwide box office for four weeks.[109] The film earned $167.4 million in the United States and Canada and $438.6 million from international territories, for a total of $606 million worldwide. It was the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2006.[110] It was the highest-grossing instalment of theJames Bond series untilSkyfall surpassed it in November 2012.[111] After subsequent re-releases, it has earned over $616 million.[4]
Onreview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film received anapproval rating of 94% based on 266 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Casino Royale disposes of the silliness and gadgetry that plagued recent James Bond outings, and Daniel Craig delivers what fans and critics have been waiting for: a caustic, haunted, intense reinvention of 007."[112] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[113] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[114]
Craig's performance and credibility were particularly praised. During production, Craig had been subject to debate by the media and the public, as he did not appear to fit Ian Fleming's original portrait of the character as tall, dark and suave.[115]The Daily Telegraph compared the quality of Craig's characterization of Bond toSean Connery's and praised the script as smartly written, noting how the film departed from the series' conventions.The Times compared Craig's portrayal of the character to that ofTimothy Dalton, and praised the action as "edgy",[116] with another reviewer citing in particular the action sequence involving the cranes in Madagascar.[117] Critics Paul Arendt ofBBC Films,[118]Kim Newman ofEmpire,[119] andTodd McCarthy ofVariety[120] all described Craig as the first actor to truly embody Ian Fleming's James Bond from the original novel: ironic, brutal and cold. Arendt commented, "Craig is the first actor to really nail 007's defining characteristic: he's an absolute swine".[118]
The film was similarly well received in North America.MSNBC gave the movie a perfect5 star rating.[121] The film was described as taking James Bond "back to his roots", similar toFrom Russia with Love,[122] where the focus was on character and plot rather than the high-tech gadgets and visual effects that were strongly criticized inDie Another Day.[120]Entertainment Weekly named the film as the fifth best of the series,[123] and chose Vesper Lynd as the fourth best Bond girl in the series.[124] Some newspaper columnists and critics were impressed enough by Craig's performance to consider him a viable candidate for anAcademy Award nomination.[125][126][127]
Roger Ebert gave the film a four out of four star rating, and wrote that "Craig makes a superb Bond ... who gives the sense of a hard man, wounded by life and his job, who nevertheless cares about people and right and wrong," and that the film "has the answers to all my complaints about the 45-year-old James Bond series," specifically "why nobody in a Bond movie ever seems to have any real emotions."[128]Time Out New York's Joshua Rothkopf called Craig "the best Bond in the franchise's history," citing the actor's "crisp, hateful,Mamet-worthy snarl ... This is a screwed-up Bond, a rogue Bond, a bounder, a scrapper and, in the movie's astoundingly bleak coda, an openhearted lover."[129]
Vicky Allan of theSunday Herald noted Bond himself, and not his love interests, was sexually objectified in this film: A moment where he rises from the sea is reminiscent ofUrsula Andress inDr. No; he feels "skewered" by Vesper Lynd's criticism of him; "and though it would be almost unthinkable now have a female character in a mainstream film stripped naked and threatened with genital mutilation, that is exactly what happens to Bond in [the film]." So although the film backed off from past criticism of Bond girls being sex objects, "the once invincible James Bond becomes just another joint at the meat market."[130] This sentiment is shared by theUniversity of Leicester'sJames Chapman, author ofLicence to Thrill, who also notes Craig's Bond is "not yet the polished article"; he felt his incarnation of Bond is close to Fleming's because he is "humourless," but is also different because "Fleming's Bond did not enjoy killing; Craig's Bond seems almost to relish it."[131]Andrew Sarris ofThe New York Observer wrote that this particular Bond film is "the very first that I would seriously consider placing on my own yearly 10-best list. Furthermore, I consider Daniel Craig to be the most effective and appealing of the six actors who have played 007, and that includes even Sean Connery."[132]
Roger Moore wrote, "Daniel Craig impressed me so greatly in his debut outing,Casino Royale, by introducing a more gritty, unrefined edge to the character that I thought Sean [Connery] might just have to move over. Craig's interpretation was like nothing we'd seen on screen before; Jimmy Bond was earning his stripes and making mistakes. It was intriguing to see him being castigated by M, just like a naughty schoolboy would be by his headmaster. The script showed him as a vulnerable, troubled, and flawed character. Quite the opposite to my Bond! Craig was, and is, very much the Bond Ian Fleming had described in the books – a ruthless killing machine. It was a Bond that the public wanted." Moore also quipped that his praise was "not heaped lightly," because he had to purchase the DVD himself.[133]Raymond Benson, the author of nineBond novels, calledCasino Royale "a perfectBond film."[134]
The film met with mixed reactions from other critics. John Beifuss ofThe Commercial Appeal said, "Who wants to see Bond learn a lesson about ego, as if he wereGreg Brady in his 'Johnny Bravo' phase?"[135]Anthony Lane ofThe New Yorker criticized the more imperfect and self-aware depiction of the character, saying, "Even James Bond, in other words, wants to be 007."[136]
American radio personalityMichael Medved gave the film three stars out of four, describing it as "intriguing, audacious and very original ... more believable and less cartoonish, than previous 007 extravaganzas"; he commented further that the "sometimes sluggish pacing will frustrate some Bond fanatics."[137] Critics such asEmanuel Levy concurred, feeling the ending was too long, and that the film's terrorist villains lacked depth, although he praised Craig and gave the film a B+ overall.[138] Other reviewers responded negatively, including Tim Adams ofThe Observer, who felt the film came off uncomfortably in an attempt to make the series grittier.[139]
In December 2006,Casino Royale was named the best film of the year by viewers ofFilm 2006.[140][141] In 2009, UK ice cream company Del Monte Superfruit Smoothies launched anice pop lolly moulded to resemble the upper torso of Bond, a reference to the scene of him emerging from the sea.[142][143] In 2008,Entertainment Weekly namedCasino Royale the 19th-best film of the past 25 years.[144]
In 2025, it was one of the films voted for the "Readers' Choice" edition ofThe New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century," finishing at number 144.[145]
At the 2006British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards,Casino Royale won theFilm Award for Best Sound (Chris Munro, Eddy Joseph, Mike Prestwood Smith, Martin Cantwell, Mark Taylor), and theOrange Rising Star Award, which was won by Eva Green.[146] The film was nominated for eight BAFTA awards, including theAlexander Korda Award for Best British Film of the Year; Best Screenplay (Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis); the Anthony Asquith Award for Best Film Music (David Arnold); Best Cinematography (Phil Méheux); Best Editing (Stuart Baird); Best Production Design (Peter Lamont, Simon Wakefield); Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects (Steve Begg, Chris Corbould, John Paul Docherty, Ditch Doy); andBest Actor (Daniel Craig). This made Craig the first actor ever to receive a BAFTA nomination for a performance as James Bond.[146] He also received theEvening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor.[147]
Casino Royale won the Excellence in Production Design Award from theArt Directors Guild,[148] and singer Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" won the International Press Academy Satellite Award for Best Original Song.[149][150] The film was nominated for fiveSaturn Awards—Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film, Best Actor (Daniel Craig), Best Supporting Actress (Eva Green), Best Writing (Purvis, Wade and Haggis) and Best Music (David Arnold).[151] The 2006 Golden Tomato Awards namedCasino Royale the Wide Release Film of the Year.[152]Casino Royale was also nominated for, and has won, many other international awards for its screenplay,[153] film editing,[154] visual effects,[155] and production design.[156] At the 2007 Saturn Awards, the film was declared to be the Best Action/Adventure/Thriller film of 2006.[157] Several members of the crew were also recipients of 2007 Taurus World Stunt Awards, including Gary Powell for Best Stunt Coordination and Ben Cooke, Kai Martin, Marvin Stewart-Campbell and Adam Kirley for Best High Work.[158]
^"Daniel Craig takes on 007 mantle".BBC News. 14 November 2006.Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved4 April 2007.Michael G. Wilson said 200 actors had been considered
^Crabtree, Sheigh (12 January 2007)."10 make cut for ACE noms".The Hollywood Reporter.Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved19 March 2011.
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