About that 500-day countdown to Bond 25

Sean Connery in a publicity still for Goldfinger.

Earlier today, some 007-related Twitter accounts began the 500-day countdown to Bond 25’s Feb. 14, 2020 release date. Among them: the Twitter feed of the MI6 James Bond website and @Bond25Film, which provides Bond 25 updates.

This got the blog to thinking: How did the 500-day mark translate to the earliest days of the 007 film franchise, when installments were made more often? To get the dates, the blog simply used Google.

Dr. No: It debuted on Oct. 5, 1962 in the U.K. Five hundred days before that was May 23, 1961. Richard Maibaum delivered his first draft script — for Thunderball — on Aug. 18, 1961. That would be shelved to make Dr. No instead.

From Russia With Love: Its premiere was Oct. 10, 1963. Five hundred days before that date was May 28, 1962. Dr. No was in post-production. Ian Fleming celebrated his 54th birthday.

Goldfinger: Its debut was Sept. 17, 1964. Five hundred days before that date was May 6, 1963. From Russia With Love was still in production.

Thunderball: Its earliest premiere was Dec. 9, 1965, according to IMDB.COM. Five hundred days before that date was July 27, 1964. Goldfinger was in post-production.

Of course, that was a different era, Bond films are more elaborate to make today, etc., etc., etc.

Still, once upon a time, nobody got excited it was a mere 500 days before a James Bond film came out. Such is life.

UPDATE (4:45 p.m., Oct. 3, New York time): Out of curiosity, the blog looked up what was going on 500 days before the July 7, 1977 premiere of The Spy Who Loved Me. That movie was affected by the breakup of the partnership between Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. That date was Feb. 23, 1976. The Spy Who Loved Me was in pre-production and would be filming later that year.