007 returns to the big screen on 3 April 2020, as Daniel Craig once again dons a fabulous tailored suit for his final outing as the world’s most famous secret agent. No Time To Die is the 25th instalment in the adventures of James Bond and is promised to tie up many of the loose ends from the previous four movies.
So, with this in mind you might want to get yourself up to speed with what’s gone before. And these are the different ways you can watch the Bond films in order, either just for Daniel Craig, all of his predecessors, or read the books.
Daniel Craig Bond era
If you’re intending to watch No Time To Die, then it’s well worth sitting down and enjoying the previous four movies in which Daniel Craig played Bond.
Many of the characters across those films have continuing storylines, including Blofeld, Moneypenny, Q, Dr Madeline Swann, M, and Felix Leiter, and while each film is a standalone piece, there are plenty of references and call-backs to events in the world that has been Craig’s home since 2006.
Plus, there’s the bonus of watching what we regard as the best Bond movie of all time: Skyfall.
Here’s the order for the Daniel Craig Bond films;
- Casino Royale (2006)
- Quantum of Solace (2008)
- Skyfall (2012)
- Spectre (2015)
And to whet your appetite here’s the trailer for No Time To Die.
Every James Bond movie in order
While there’s no need to watch any of the pre-Craig Bond movies to enjoy No Time To Die, there’s still a wealth of entertainment to be found by revisiting the cannon as a whole.
Not only does this allow you to enjoy classics such as ‘You Only Live Twice’ and ‘The Man With The Golden Gun’, but means you can play the age-old game of ‘Who is your favourite Bond?’ Not to mention comparing the vast array of villains, glamorous companions, and lethal gadgets that have been the hallmark of the Bond genre.
Over the years there have been several actors in the role of Bond, with nationalities of Scottish, Australian, English, Irish, Welsh, and English once more.
The order of their appearances is:
Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig
…but in a couple of instances Connery left the role then returned for one-off movies (Diamonds are Forever and Never Say Never Again). Plus, there was also a comedy version of Casino Royale in 1967 starring David Niven and Woody Allen as James and Jimmy Bond respectively. While this isn’t regarded as part of the official Bond lineage, it’s actually well worth a look.
Here’s how to explore the history of 007, from the first assignment to his latest mission.
- Dr No (1963) – Sean Connery
- From Russia with Love (1963) – Sean Connery
- Goldfinger (1964) – Sean Connery
- Thunderball (1965) – Sean Connery
- You Only Live Twice (1967) – Sean Connery
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – George Lazenby
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971) – Sean Connery
- Live and Let Die (1973) – Roger Moore
- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) – Roger Moore
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – Roger Moore
- Moonraker (1979) – Roger Moore
- For Your Eyes Only (1981) – Roger Moore
- Octopussy (1983) – Roger Moore
- Never Say Never Again (1983) – Sean Connery
- A View to a Kill (1985) – Roger Moore
- The Living Daylights (1987) – Timothy Dalton
- License to Kill (1989) – Timothy Dalton
- Goldeneye (1995) – Pierce Brosnan
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) – Pierce Brosnan
- The World is Not Enough (1999) – Pierce Brosnan
- Die Another Day (2002) – Pierce Brosnan
- Casino Royale (2006) – Daniel Craig
- Quantum of Solace (2008) – Daniel Craig
- Skyfall (2012) – Daniel Craig
- Spectre (2015) – Daniel Craig
- No Time To Die (2020) – Daniel Craig
At the time of writing, the Bond films weren’t available on many of the streaming services, so to watch them all you may want to invest in the complete collection on Blu-Ray. We found the boxset for sale on Amazon UK for £50.98 and Amazon US for $96.
Read the James Bond books in order
These days James Bond is mainly thought of as a movie franchise, but before Connery slipped on that white tuxedo and lit a cigarette at the card table, the character was already a huge hit thanks to the books penned by Ian Fleming.
Many of the early movies took their names from the novels, although the plots often veered heavily away from those written by the author. But, if you want to be a Bond completionist, this is the order to watch the movies. Bear in mind that there were only ever 13 full length books and two short stories, so when you reach the end of this list there will be ten more movies to choose from, but that can be a mission you complete using your own judgement.
- Casino Royale (2006) – Daniel Craig
- Live and Let Die (1973) – Roger Moore
- Moonraker (1979) – Roger Moore
- Diamonds are Forever (1971) – Sean Connery
- From Russia with Love (1963) – Sean Connery
- Dr No (1963) – Sean Connery
- Goldfinger (1964) – Sean Connery
- For Your Eyes Only (1981) – Roger Moore
- Thunderball (1965) – Sean Connery
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – Roger Moore
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – George Lazenby
- You Only Live Twice (1967) – Sean Connery
- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) – Roger Moore
- Octopussy (1983) – Roger Moore
- The Living Daylights (1987) Timothy Dalton
If you finish all that then you must be a true fan. So, take a look at our roundup of the Best Bond Gifts and Gadgets to reward yourself.
Via Techadvisor