MGM, Danjaq settle decades-long dispute over James Bond film rights

A dispute over the film rights to James Bond, which had lasted over half a century, has finally been settled, with MGM and producer Danjaq LLC taking full film rights to the most famous fictional secret spy ever created.

MGM and Danjaq were in a dispute with the late writer Kevin McClory and his estate. McClory had worked with James Bond creator Ian Fleming on the script to Thunderball, which eventually became a film in 1965 and the fourth 007 film. According to the Los Angeles Times, the dispute was finally settled, although terms were not disclosed. The three parties said the sage reached an “amicable conclusion.”

As Businessweek details, the dispute started in 1959, when the estate claims McClory suggested to Fleming that Bond take a trip to the Bahamas. That story was developed into a screenplay called Thunderball. But Bond still hadn’t made the jump to films yet, so Fleming turned the idea into a novel and gave McClory no credit.

Thunderball turned into a film in 1965, after one legal battle. Then, in 1983, he was able to produce Never Say Never Again, which starred Sean Connery. That film isn’t considered part of the main franchise, which MGM and Danjaq produce. (In 1983, they produced their own Bond film, Octopussy with Roger Moore.)

In 2001, McClory was denied royalties to the films in California, since he waited too long, according to the court. He died in 2006 at 80.

Part of the dispute included McClory’s estate alleging that he was the sole creator of SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) and its leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Now that the dispute is over, the character might come back.

Skyfall director Sam Mendes and star Daniel Craig will be back in theaters with another Bond movie in 2015.

image: Sony