From Casino Royale to Octopussy and the living daylights, all Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels have been adapted to cinema.


Casino Royale. Poster of the 2006 movie and cover of the 1953 book
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Casino Royale
Ian Fleming, 1953
movie vs book
Martin Campbell, 2006

MI6 operative James Bond gains promotion to 00 agent status by assassinating two targets: traitorous section chief Dryden at the British Embassy in Prague and his contact, Fisher. In Uganda, the mysterious Mr. White introduces Steven Obanno, a high-ranking member of the Lord’s Resistance Army, to Le Chiffre, an Albanian private banker to terrorists.


Quantum of Solace. Poster of the 2008 movie and cover of the 1965 book
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Quantum of Solace
Ian Fleming, 1965
movie vs book
Marc Forster, 2008

Moments after the end of the previous film, James Bond is driving from Lake Garda to Siena, Italy, with the captured Mr White in the trunk of his Aston Martin DBS V12. Observing her subsequent meeting with Greene, Bond learns Greene is helping exiled Bolivian General Medrano, who murdered Camille’s family, to overthrow the government and become the new president, in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of desert.


Goldfinger. Poster of the 1964 movie and cover of the 1959 book
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Goldfinger
Ian Fleming, 1959
movie vs book
Guy Hamilton, 1964

After destroying a drug laboratory in Latin America, James Bond vacations in Miami Beach. Bond discovers Goldfinger cheating at a high-stakes gin rummy game, aided remotely by his employee, Jill Masterson, who prompts him using binoculars and a one-way radio. Bond trails Goldfinger to Switzerland.


Dr. No. Poster of the 1962 movie and cover of the 1958 book, Doctor No
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Doctor No
Ian Fleming, 1958
movie vs book
Terence Young, 1962

John Strangways, the Station Chief of MI6 in Jamaica, is murdered by a trio of assassins, along with his secretary, before his home is ransacked. The boatman, named Quarrel, reveals that he is aiding the CIA and introduces Bond to their agent Felix Leiter, who is also investigating Strangways’ disappearance.


From Russia with Love. Poster of the 1963 movie and cover of the 1957 book, From Russia With Love
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From Russia With Love
Ian Fleming, 1957
movie vs book
Terence Young, 1963

Seeking revenge against James Bond for the death of their agent Dr. No in Jamaica, international criminal organisation SPECTRE begins training agents to kill him, before assigning the task to Irish assassin Donald Red Grant. To lure Bond into a trap, SPECTRE’s chief planner, Czechoslovak chess grandmaster Kronsteen, devises a plan to have him attempt to procure a Lektor cryptography device from the Soviets from their consulate in Istanbul.


Thunderball. Poster of the 1965 movie and cover of the 1961 book
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Thunderball
Ian Fleming, 1961
movie vs book
Terence Young, 1965

SPECTRE operative Emilio Largo devises a plan to hold NATO to ransom by hijacking two atomic bombs from a Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan strategic jet bomber during a training exercise. To facilitate Largo’s plans, SPECTRE operative Count Lippe recruits Angelo Palazzi to oversee the theft of the bombs, and with help from SPECTRE agent Fiona Volpe, has him surgically alter his face to match that of French Air Force pilot François Derval.


You Only Live Twice. Poster of the 1967 movie and cover of the 1964 book
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You Only Live Twice
Ian Fleming, 1964
movie vs book
Lewis Gilbert, 1967

American NASA spacecraft Jupiter 16 is hijacked from orbit by an unidentified spaceship. Upon his arrival, Bond attends a sumo match where he is approached by Japanese secret service agent Aki, who takes him to meet local MI6 operative Dikko Henderson.


The Spy Who Loved Me. Poster of the 1977 movie and cover of the 1962 book
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The Spy Who Loved Me
Ian Fleming, 1962
movie vs book
Lewis Gilbert, 1977

A British and a Soviet ballistic-missile submarine suddenly disappear. The plans for a highly advanced submarine tracking system are being offered in Egypt. There, Bond encounters Major Anya Amasova—KGB agent Triple X—his rival to recover the microfilm plans.


Live and Let Die. Poster of the 1973 movie and cover of the 1954 book
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Live and Let Die
Ian Fleming, 1954
movie vs book
Guy Hamilton, 1973

Three MI6 agents are killed under mysterious circumstances within 24 hours in the United Nations headquarters in New York City, New Orleans, and the small Caribbean nation of San Monique, while monitoring the operations of the island’s dictator, Dr. Kananga. After Bond arrives, his driver is shot dead by Whisper, one of Kananga’s men, while taking Bond to Felix Leiter of the CIA.


Diamonds Are Forever. Poster of the 1971 movie and cover of the 1956 book
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Diamonds Are Forever
Ian Fleming, 1956
movie vs book
Guy Hamilton, 1971

James Bond pursues Ernst Stavro Blofeld and eventually finds him at a facility where Blofeld look-alikes are being created through surgery. While assassins Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd systematically kill several diamond smugglers, M suspects South African diamonds are being stockpiled to depress prices by dumping, and orders Bond to uncover the smuggling ring.


The Man with the Golden Gun. Poster of the 1974 movie and cover of the 1965 book, The Man With the Golden Gun
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The Man With the Golden Gun
Ian Fleming, 1965
movie vs book
Guy Hamilton, 1974

In London, a golden bullet with James Bond’s codename’007′ etched into its surface is received by MI6. Seeing Andrea Anders, Scaramanga’s mistress, collecting the shipment of golden bullets at a casino, Bond follows her to Hong Kong and, in her Peninsula Hotel room, pressures Anders to expose information about Scaramanga, his appearance and his plans; she directs him to the Bottoms Up Club.


Octopussy. Poster of the 1983 movie and cover of the 1966 book
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Octopussy
Ian Fleming, 1966
movie vs book
John Glen, 1983

While trying to escape from East to West Berlin, British agent 009 dies in the residence of the British Ambassador, dressed as a circus clown and carrying a fake Fabergé egg. Bond permits Magda to steal the real Fabergé egg, fitted with listening and tracking devices by Q, while Gobinda captures and takes Bond to Khan’s palace.

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“A movie is not a book. If the source material is a book, you cannot be too respectful of the book. All you owe to the book is the spirit.”

GRAHAM GREENE (Writer)