Iconic spy franchise James Bond began with British author Ian Fleming’s original novels, all of which were written during his retirement in Jamaica at his Goldeneye estate. The first novel, espionage thriller Casino Royale, was released in 1953. Fleming drew inspiration from his own background during World War II working in British Naval Intelligence, with the character Bond being a combination of secret agents he’d encountered. Since that first novel, the movie franchise has grossed more than $7 billion worldwide, as of 2026.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, fan favorite James Bond movie Casino Royale – originally released on November 17, 2006 – heads back to movie theaters worldwide starting October 5, 2026. Amazon MGM Studios confirmed the news across social media with 007 himself, Daniel Craig.

Casino Royale is widely credited with revitalizing the spy franchise with its gritty story and bold new look. Craig took on the role of James Bond and broke away from previous portrayals of the MI6 secret agent with a rougher and more human Bond. The film grossed more than $600 million worldwide and was the highest-grossing James Bond movie at the time of its release.

The movie is an origin story, beginning after British Secret Service agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) receives a license to kill. Bond soon heads to Madagascar, where he uncovers a link to Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a terrorist organization financier. After learning that Le Chiffre plans to raise money during a high-stakes poker game, MI6 sends Bond to play against him, gambling that their newest “00” operative will topple the man’s organization.

At the time of this article’s posting on September 17, 2026, only Drafthouse Cinemas has Casino Royale on their schedule. However, as the October 5th release date gets closer, other theater chains may add the re-release to their schedules.

Directed by Martin Campbell, Casino Royale stars Daniel Craig as James Bond, along with Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Isaach De Bankolé, Jesper Christensen, Ivana Milicevic, Tobias Menzies, Claudio Santamaria, Sebastien Foucan, Malcolm Sinclair, Richard Sammel, Ludger Pistor, Joseph Millson, Darwin Shaw, Clemens Schick, Emmanuel Avena, Tom Chadbon, Ade, Urbano Barberini, Tsai Chin, Charlie Levi Leroy, Lazar Ristovski, Tom So, Veruschka von Lehndorff, Andreas Daniel, Carlos Leal, Christina Cole and Jürgen Tarrach.

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