8 James Bond Movies That Are Due For A Remake In Amazon's New Franchise

James Bond 26 will mark the beginning of an exciting new undertaking for Amazon MGM Studios, which took control of the franchise earlier this year. Early production on the sequel is currently underway, with acclaimed sci-fi director Denis Villeneuve attached to direct and Peaky Blinders alum Steven Knight in charge of the screenplay.

The move to Amazon likely signals a major turning point for 007, with the studio potentially moving forward with several James Bond spinoffs and prequels thanks to the increased budget and distribution possibilities. Many fans have also speculated that it could be the right time to remake some of the older Bond movies, which haven’t all aged that well.

With a fresh take on the iconic character on the way, this would be the perfect time to revisit the franchise’s classic tales and update them for this new era. It could be a smart way to update the whole franchise while also paying tribute to its roots. Here are some of the best options for a James Bond remake.

For Your Eyes Only

For Your Eyes Only was the first in director John Glen’s polarizing string of Bond movies throughout the 1980s, which fans often cite as an especially underwhelming decade for this iconic character. The film sees Bond tasked with recovering an important piece of British intelligence from a sunken Navy ship before their Soviet enemies can beat them to it.

Like many Bond movies from this era, For Your Eyes Only ultimately suffers from outdated visual effects and a fairly simplistic narrative that simply isn’t as interesting as the movies that followed. It’s also weighed down by its Cold War context, so a modern remake would have plenty of creative liberty to mold the story for a new generation.

Moonraker

Moonraker is the film that came directly before For Your Eyes Only, and it ultimately suffers from many of the same problems: an exaggerated lead performance, outdated special effects, and a narrative that drifts too far from the grounded storytelling of the rest of the series. Roger Moore’s Bond films can be polarizing, and this is a prime example.

Moonraker is often criticized for being one of the most outlandish and over-the-top Bond movies, with much of the story centering around a space shuttle theft and Bond’s attempts to prevent planetary destruction. This kind of space-age storytelling now feels very outdated, but Moonraker‘s story could still hold up in a modernized context.

The Living Daylights

The Living Daylights was Timothy Dalton’s first outing as James Bond, and it immediately marked a huge departure from the whimsical storytelling of the Roger Moore era. This story, also clearly influenced by the Cold War context, sees Bond charged with facilitating the defection of a KGB agent who ends up causing more trouble than he’s worth.

Timothy Dalton is one of the best James Bond actors because of his ability to play 007 as a ruthless killing machine, but this story doesn’t quite do his cold personality justice. Where License to Kill really takes advantage of Dalton’s refreshing take on Bond, he feels slightly out of place in this narrative, which is clearly trying to get the franchise back on its feet.

With a more coordinated approach, and more harmony between the performances and the filmmaking tone, The Living Daylights could have been a truly great Bond film. This makes it a prime candidate for a remake in Amazon’s new era, depending on which actor is cast as the next James Bond.

Never Say Never Again

Never Say Never Again is such an interesting Bond film. On the one hand, Connery’s return to this franchise is handled really well, and he fits back into the role so naturally. But on the other hand, it’s still plagued by the production issues that stalled the Bond franchise so heavily throughout the ’80s, and never truly feels like a complete project.

The potential is certainly there for Never Say Never Again‘s story; the idea of bringing Bond out of retirement to handle a global threat is certainly interesting, and the inclusion of franchise villains SPECTRE immediately makes this a must-watch entry. However, the film just came at the wrong moment in Bond’s history.

Remaking Never Say Never Again seems like a perfect opportunity for Amazon’s new Bond franchise, potentially even bringing back another Bond actor to reprise their role. It’s the kind of one-off story that could easily exist alongside the main series, just like the original version did back in 1983.

Octopussy

There are definitely some fun moments in Octopussy, but overall, the film sometimes feels like it’s trying so hard to be engaging and entertaining that it fails to actually develop an idenтιтy of its own. The story of dismantling a nuclear conspiracy is exactly the kind of high-stakes espionage that James Bond thrives in, but the added circus subplot almost feels like it’s parodying itself.

This is a common criticism of the Roger Moore era, but these kinds of “silly” Bond stories could actually have a place in the new franchise. As long as audiences are getting their darker, gritty James Bond in the main series, more lighthearted adventures like Octopussy could definitely work as side projects, as long as they actually lean into the comedic storytelling.

Diamonds Are Forever

Beyond having the best Bond theme song, Diamonds Are Forever is a fairly underwhelming entry in Sean Connery’s catalog, and one that marked the beginning of a notable downward trajectory for the franchise. It rehashes many of the stereotypes that were already becoming evident in the series, without being self-aware enough to use them to its advantage.

Thankfully, enough time has now pᴀssed since Diamonds Are Forever that a remake sounds not only plausible but desirable. There’s a huge amount of nostalgia for Connery’s Bond era, but this film is the one example that most fans can agree doesn’t quite live up to the rest. Remaking it with a modern, self-aware touch could be exactly what it needs.

The Man With The Golden Gun

The Man with the Golden Gun is frequently cited among the worst James Bond movies, but much of its storytelling failures stem from issues of tone and atmosphere, not the narrative. The idea of Bond being hunted down by a nemesis with similar intentions is fun, but the film is just never sure whether it wants to be a comedy or a thriller.

Either of these options could have worked, but not both. If Amazon decides to remake this story, the new version would have to lean fully into one of the genres — either comedy or thriller — and embrace all the tropes that come with it. A Man with the Golden Gun remake could be an excellent opportunity to bring some humor to Bond outside of the main franchise.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a major point of contention for some Bond fans; while it has historically been considered a low point for the franchise, there’s been somewhat of a renaissance of love for this movie in recent years. It was even named the best James Bond movie ever in Screen Rant‘s “Challenge My GOAT” series, so there’s clearly something special here.

However, the reason for its split perception is exactly the same reason it needs to be remade — this is a brilliant Bond story wrapped in a fairly mediocre movie. The concept of Bond hunting down a womanizing Blofeld while dealing with his own unconventional romance is very compelling, but the film just fails to bring that out of the script.

It also doesn’t help that Lazenby’s (only) performance as James Bond is a major departure from Connery’s interpretation of the character, ditching the smooth-talking charmer for a more restrained, ambivalent agent of the crown. With a more suitable James Bond actor at the helm, and a more streamlined script, Amazon could really strike gold with an OHMSS remake.