20 Things You Didn’t Know About Casino Royale (2006)

20. “...Whatever Is Left Of Me, Whatever I Am...I’m Yours.”

Ian Fleming had long been fascinated by the world of filmmaking.

He initially accepted $600 from producer, Gregory Ratoff for the film rights to his 1953 novel, Casino Royale. CBS paid a further $1,000 for those rights and adapted it into a 1954 "Climax" television episode, which transformed James Bond into an American agent played by Barry Nelson and discarded much of the plot due to time constraints. Nevertheless, Ratoff paid a further $6,000 to retain the film rights in perpetuity.

Those rights later passed to producer, Charles K. Feldman, who wanted to adapt the novel with producers, Albert R. “Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, but they sadly declined owing to their experience with Kevin McClory on Thunderball (1965). Convinced that he could not compete with Eon Productions' Bond franchise, Feldman transformed Casino Royale (1967) into a spoof instead.

The film rights to Casino Royale then rested with Columbia Pictures, despite Cubby's efforts to secure them, until being transferred to Sony Pictures Entertainment in 1989. Sony attempted to make a rival Bond film, resulting in legal action with MGM/UA.

A settlement was reached in 2000 and MGM/UA traded its film rights to Spider-Man for Sony's rights to Casino Royale, allowing Broccoli’s daughter, Barbara and his stepson, Michael G. Wilson to finally realise Cubby’s dream of making a proper adaptation of Fleming’s first Bond novel.

Ironically, Sony purchased MGM in 2005, allowing it to distribute the film.