Spectre (2015)

Spectre is a 2015 spy film and the twenty-fourth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures. It is the fourth film to feature Daniel Craig as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond and the second film in the series directed by Sam Mendes following Skyfall. It was written by John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth.

The story sees Bond pitted against the global criminal organisation Spectre and their enigmatic leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), who plans to launch a national surveillance network to mastermind criminal activities across the globe. The film marks Spectre’s and Blofeld’s first appearance in an Eon Productions film since 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. 

A character resembling Blofeld had previously appeared in the 1981 film For Your Eyes Only, but because of the Thunderball controversy he is not named, nor is his face shown. Several James Bond characters, including M, Q and Eve Moneypenny, return, with new additions Léa Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann, Dave Bautista as Mr. Hinx, Andrew Scott as Max Denbigh and Monica Bellucci as Lucia Sciarra.

Spectre was filmed from December 2014 to July 2015 in Austria, the United Kingdom, Italy, Morocco and Mexico. The action scenes prioritised practical effects and stunts, while employing computer-generated imagery made by five different companies. Spectre was estimated to have cost around $245 million—with some sources listing it as high as $300 million—making it the most expensive Bond film and one of the most expensive films ever made.

Spectre was released on 26 October 2015 in the United Kingdom on the same night of the world premiere at the London Royal Albert Hall. It was followed by a worldwide release, including IMAX screenings. It was released in the United States and Canada on 6 November, and received mixed reviews from critics who praised the film’s action sequences, cinematography, acting and musical score, but criticised the length, pacing, and narrative decisions.

The theme song “Writing’s on the Wall“, performed and co-written by Sam Smith, won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Spectre grossed over $880 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2015 and the second-largest unadjusted total for the series after Skyfall. The next Bond film, No Time to Die, was released in 2021, with Craig reprising his role for the final time and Cary Joji Fukunaga as director.