This Iconic $21B Franchise Missed The Literal Once-In-A-Millenia Chance In 2007
The James Bond franchise had a thousand years to prepare for such an occasion, but they botched it. Oh well, now they have another millenia to think this through.
Summary:
- Symbolic dates are rare, and many franchises speed up their productions to release their movies in time for them.
- For the James Bond franchise, the obvious symbolic number is 007, as in “Agent 007.”
- Somehow, Daniel Craig ’s Casino Royale was released two months before the year 2007 — the only year in this millenia that has 007 in it.
Making movies is no easy business, but most franchises won’t ever miss a chance to release their new installments at some plot-related date, even if it hampers the time they have for post-production… Their list doesn’t include the James Bond franchise, though, as those folks missed a literal once-in-a-millenia opportunity in 2007.
In Hollywood, Release Dates Do Matter
Not every movie or franchise has a specific number associated with it; those that do, however, are often desperate to utilize that number in every way possible. Choosing a plot-related release date is a rare occurrence and a chance that can’t be missed: movies like 11.11.11 put everything at stake to hit the theaters on such a date, and, like in the case of this horror film, it can cost them everything, including returns.
This trend isn’t only limited to the movie industry, too. The unfathomably rare 11.11.11 date, for instance, also pulled in a heave lifter of the video game industry, the studio called Bethesda Softworks: those guys released their iconic game Skyrim on the same date, too, even though it admittedly was in a terribly buggy state then.
James Bond Franchise Botched A Unique Chance
If there is one movie franchise with a special number that everyone knows, it’s James Bond. The legendary superspy is commonly referred to as “Agent 007,” and whenever you see these three numbers, you immediately think of a man in an expensive suit casually sipping on his vodka martini — shaken, not stirred, of course.
Somehow, this franchise completely missed its chance to make use of the year 007!
Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond, Casino Royale, was released in 2006. His second movie, Quantum of Solace, hit the theaters in 2008. And not a single James Bond film was released in 2007 — the only year in this millenia that ends on 007!
Such a unique chance, wasted for nothing! Casino Royale premiered in November 2006, meaning that if they waited just for two more months, Daniel Craig’s first Bond movie could symbolically start the new era of Agent 007 in “his” year. But oh well, now they’ll have to wait until the year 3007 if they want to do the funny thing.