Why ‘Goldeneye’ Almost Wasn’t Made

GOLDENEYE, Pierce Brosnan, 1995 — Keith Hamshere/United Artists/Everett Collection

What To Know

GoldenEye almost wasn’t made due to years of legal battles and financial troubles at MGM, which halted Bond film production after Licence to Kill.
The delays led to Timothy Dalton stepping down as James Bond, forcing producers to recast the role and ultimately choose Pierce Brosnan as the new 007.
Despite these setbacks and the declining health of longtime producer Albert R. Broccoli, GoldenEye‘s release in 1995 successfully revived the franchise and ushered in a new era for the series.

30 years ago, on November 17, 1995, James Bond made his triumphant return in GoldenEye. The film — the first to bring 007 to the big screen in six years, since Licence to Kill — was heralded by fans and critics as a return to form for the franchise, earning $356.4 million on a $60 million budget and introducing viewers to Pierce Brosnan as the new secret agent man. But fans may not have realized that the film that revived one of cinema’s longest-running series almost never happened, and was beset by problems, including lawsuits and the declining health of the man who had shaped the series from the start.

What almost kept GoldenEye from being made?

Though GoldenEye didn’t reach theaters until 1995, production actually started moving right after Licence to Kill in the summer of 1989. Bond producers had hired writers, and early outlines were being drafted with the idea that the next film would come out in about 2-3 years.

However, MGM, which controlled the rights to distribute the series, went through a period of financial collapse and legal battles during that time. Danjaq, the company behind the Bond films, sued MGM over distribution rights, halting all production plans. According to Entertainment Weekly, the legal fight stalled the franchise for years, and it was not resolved until late 1992.

GOLDENEYE, Pierce Brosnan, Joe Don Baker, 1995

United Artists/Everett Collection

All of that uncertainty put Bond actor Timothy Dalton in an impossible position. His contract expired during the delay, and after years of waiting for the legal issues to settle, he decided to step away from the role. The producers had considered bringing him back, but once he officially declined, they were forced to recast. On top of that, the Cold War ended during the hiatus, leaving the franchise searching for a way to continue the series in a new and exciting way.

During this period, another challenge was unfolding behind the scenes. Albert R. Broccoli, the longtime steward of the Bond films, was experiencing health issues throughout the early 1990s. Broccoli had guided the franchise since Dr. No, but by the time GoldenEye began taking shape, he had stepped back into an advisory role, while his daughter, Barbara Broccoli, and stepson, Michael G. Wilson, took over day-to-day responsibilities.

The debut of a new Bond

GOLDENEYE, Izabella Scorupco, Pierce Brosnan, 1995

United Artists/Everett Collection

Once the legal battles were settled and the creative team regained control, everything finally began to click. By 1993, the film was back in active development, and in 1994, the producers announced Pierce Brosnan as the new 007 — the sixth actor to take on the role. Though Brosnan had a number of high-profile film roles under his belt at the time, including a turn in 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire, he was perhaps at that point best known for another crime-fighting role — his five-season run as a rouge-ish private detective on the early ’80s crime series Remington Steele.

Filming started in January 1995, and when GoldenEye opened that November, it did more than revive the franchise. It introduced a new era, launched Brosnan’s hugely successful run, and proved that Bond could adapt to changing times.

Brosnan said about starring in the film at the time, according to Entertainment Weekly, “It’s weird. It sends tingles down my spine when I think of it. This character has been in my life for so long. It was the unconscious seed of my wanting to become an actor. When I was growing up in Ireland, we had no cinema, no TV. Then I went to London with my parents and they took me to see this big movie. I was this green Irish lad — I was 10 — and I saw this naked lady covered in gold paint and this man who could kill with his hat. It was Goldfinger. That was the first movie I saw.”

Brosnan starred in four Bond movies between 1995 and 2002, making him the fourth-longest running actor to play the role; Sean Connery and Roger Moore each played the secret agent in seven films, while Daniel Craig starred in five.

Who knows … if the movie had been scrapped, would we still have the incredibly popular James Bond franchise still going strong today? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Where to Watch GoldenEye

You can stream GoldenEye for free on Pluto TV, with a subscription on Amazon Prime Video, or rent or purchase wherever you usually rent/purchase movies online.