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Screen & Stage • Film

Casino Royale

Casino Royale is a 2006 spy thriller film directed by Martin Campbell and the 21st film in Eon Productions’ James Bond series.

Updated July 30, 20261 min readCited sources

Casino Royale is a 2006 spy thriller film directed by Martin Campbell and the 21st entry in Eon Productions’ James Bond series. It marks Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond and is the third screen adaptation of Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel.

What it is

Casino Royale is a spy thriller and the first James Bond film to star Daniel Craig. It is the 21st official film in the Eon Productions series and is based on Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel, published in 1953. The film was directed by Martin Campbell, who also directed a previous Bond film.

Key details

The plot follows Bond’s first mission as a 00 agent: he must bankrupt terrorist financier Le Chiffre in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro. The cast includes Eva Green as Vesper Lynd, Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, Judi Dench as M, and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter. The screenplay was written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Paul Haggis.

Why it matters

Casino Royale rebooted the James Bond franchise with a grittier, more grounded tone, and launched Daniel Craig’s critically acclaimed tenure as Bond. It remains a major international blockbuster, distributed in Canada as part of the global release, and is widely regarded as one of the strongest entries in the series.

In short

  • 21st official James Bond film and Daniel Craig’s debut as Bond.
  • Based on Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel, the third screen adaptation.
  • Directed by Martin Campbell; stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, and Jeffrey Wright.
  • Plot: Bond’s mission to bankrupt terrorist banker Le Chiffre in a poker game in Montenegro.
Canadian angle

The film was distributed in Canada as part of the global release of the James Bond franchise, and it remains relevant to Canadian audiences as a major English-language international blockbuster.

Quick questions

What is Casino Royale?
Casino Royale is a 2006 James Bond spy thriller film and the first to star Daniel Craig as James Bond.
Who directed Casino Royale?
Martin Campbell directed the 2006 film.
Is Casino Royale based on a book?
Yes. It is based on Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel Casino Royale.

Sources

  1. Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casino_Royale_(2006_film)
    Supports: Release year, franchise position, adaptation status, director, writers, and cast
  2. IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381061/plotsummary/
    Supports: Plot summary involving Bond, Le Chiffre, Montenegro poker game
  3. Rotten Tomatoeshttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/casino_royale
    Supports: Synopsis, genre, and release information
  4. IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381061/
    Supports: Cast and production details
  5. Encyclopaedia Britannicahttps://www.britannica.com/topic/Casino-Royale-film-1967
    Supports: Context on earlier adaptation of Casino Royale
  6. Common Sense Mediahttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/casino-royale-2006
    Supports: Director, runtime, MPAA rating, and general film information