Casino Royale from 2006 is famous for being the first James Bond 007 played by Daniel Craig, but the novel had already been adapted in a comic key in 1967, with David Niven, Peter Sellers and Woody Allen among the protagonists. Why such a strange choice?
The myth of Casino Royale for fans of James Bond 007 at the cinema it is very vivid: in that distant 2006 for the first time 007 was played by Daniel Craigwho greeted the character in No Time to Die in 2021, but actually the namesake novel by Ian Flemingil first of the series, had already been brought to the screen. It happened in 1967 and in a parodic-comic key, with David Niven hero. Bearing in mind however that the Bond of the screen was at that time Sean ConneryHow did something like this happen?
Casino Royale, the strange story of its adaptations
Unlike the Casino Royale by Martin Campbell, released in 2006 and starring Daniel Craig, Eva Green e Mads Mikkelsenthe other Casino Royale from 1967 (find it on Prime Video) was an all-star comic saraband, led by David Niven as a James Bond who becomes head of MI6 and dubs all agents “007” to confuse the enemy. In fact that adaptation was one parody of Ian Fleming’s novel, directed by a thousand hands by John Huston, Ken Hughes, Robert Parrish, Joe McGrath and Val Guest. The gigantic cast included Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, Woody Allen, Orson Welles, Deborah Kerr, William Holden, John Paul Belmondo, John Huston e Barbara Bouchet, just to name a few. A true delirium, massacred by critics and yet of considerable success at the box office. But how did it come about, using the real name”James Bond 007” for the protagonist (supposedly retired), when a few months later the “regular” You only live twice con Sean Connery?
“Casino Royale” of 1953 was the Ian Fleming’s first novelas well as the first of the 007 saga: in ’55 Fleming sold to the producer Gregory Ratoff the rights for a film adaptation, which however was started only after the latter’s death, by an associate named Charles K. Feldman for the Columbia Pictures. The project had been dormant but naturally woke up after that Agent 007 – License to kill (1962) had launched with Sean Connery the “Bond-mania”, by producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli for the United Artists. The two could do nothing to prevent Feldman from making Casino Royale to Columbia, because Fleming had granted them the rights to all 007 novels except the already sold Casino Royale and Thunderball (not surprisingly the other novel with two film adaptations, born of endless legal disputes: Operation Thunder e Never say never). Feldman wisely thought that competing with Connery’s flagship saga was impossible, so he decided to turn it all around parody.
But how was it possible in the end to realize the serious Casino Royale officer with Daniel Craig? Shortly after Columbia Pictures was acquired by Sonythe latter wanted to start the project of Spider-Man by Sam Raimibut the adaptation had already been optioned by other studios, including the MGM (which had taken over United in 1980). Do ut des: Sony traded its film rights to Casino Royale to MGM in exchange for those of Spider-Man. There Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer she was then free to build Casino Royale with Craig.