subsuming the James Bond franchise, Amazon and its Prime Video service have become the official streaming home of the EON films. Now, the best Bond movie ever made has crept into the Prime Video most-watched film chart, though its also been bested by one of the most disappointing entries in the property. 2006’s “Casino Royale” is currently the number 10 most-watched movie in the United States on Prime Video, which frankly isn’t high enough considering Daniel Craig’s debut is easily the best of the Bond films to date. Making matters worse in that regard is the fact that 2021’s “No Time to Die,” which divided fans with its shocking ending (in which 007 dies for the first time), is charting at number three.
At first, Jeff Bezos’ acquisition of the 007 franchise seemed equivalent to Spectre finally besting England’s greatest spy. Then, Amazon did the unexpected by hiring the perfect director for “Bond 26” in Denis Villeneuve. The “Dune” filmmaker will be shepherding the next movie and is reportedly looking for a fresh up-and-comer to play 007. All of that bodes well for the film, which is currently being written by “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight.
Another benefit of Amazon owning this historic property is that all the Bond movies are now in one place on Prime Video (though that’s a tenuous win, as streaming services can delete digital media whenever they feel like it). Of course, the two non-EON Bond films, 1967’s “Casino Royale” and 1983’s “Never Say Never Again,” aren’t available, but that will hardly matter to most fans, especially since the official “Casino Royale” stands as the greatest Bond movie ever made.
