Thanksgiving weekend has often been a big time for movies, as the five-day holiday weekend gives for more chances for families that have gathered together to celebrate the holiday the chance to go out to the movies. There have been certain staples over the years. Disney has often opened an animated feature film over the holiday weekend. Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games all used the week before Thanksgiving to achieve incredible box office numbers. Yet one franchise has been a staple of the holiday season without anyone really noticing: James Bond.

James Bond has been a box office draw since his debut film in 1962’s Dr. No. The super spy has been the star of 25 official films from Eon Pictures. The franchise is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and is in a transition period between Bond actors. With all the James Bond movies on Prime Video now, and for those needing to get in the Thanksgiving spirit, this is how and why Bond is such a staple of the Thanksgiving holiday season.

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James Bond Release History

     MGM / UA

From Dr. No in 1962 until The Man With The Golden Gun in 1974, the James Bond films typically were released during the holiday season around December as it was one of the most profitable times to release a movie. However, in 1975 the release of Jaws shifted the release calendar to make the summer movie season the most profitable time for big budget fair which was only solidified in 1977 with the release of Star Wars. 1977 saw the first James Bond movie released in the summer, The Spy Who Loved Me. The next seven Bond movies were released during the summer movie season.

After a seven-year hiatus, Bond returned with Goldeneye in 1995 and the film was given a November 17 release date, the Friday before Thanksgiving. Goldeneye was a box office hit and set the Pierce Brosnan era as a staple of the holiday season. While Tomorrow Never Dies got a December release date (opening the same day as Titanic), both The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day were released the Friday before Thanksgiving.

Craig Bond Films Bring the Franchise to New Heights

     Sony Pictures

Daniel Craig marked not only a new James Bond but a new continuity. However, many rules of the franchise remained the same, and one of them was that prime November release date. Casino Royale opened on November 17, 2006. While the movie did not take the number one spot at the box office (it was beaten by Happy Feet), Casino Royale held exceptionally well the following weekend during the Thanksgiving holiday and ended up bringing $167 million domestic and $605 million worldwide.

The following three Daniel Craig James Bond movies, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre opened on the second weekend of November as the weekend before Thanksgiving had since become the main weekend for YA novel adaptations. Quantum of Solace may not have received the positive reviews that Casino Royale did, but it did see a slight increase at the domestic box office. Skyfall on the other hand shattered all expectations to become the highest grossing Bond movie and the first in the franchise to cross $1 billion worldwide. Spectre may not have performed at the level of Skyfall but $880 million worldwide is still nothing to be ashamed of.

The tradition did break with the release of No Time To Die but not for lack of trying. The studio original set it for release in November 2019 but was delayed following original director Danny Boyle’s departure. The film was set for April 2020 but was delayed due to COVID-19 and the studio set it for release on November 12, 2020 in the UK and Thanksgiving weekend of November 25, 2020 in the United States. However, the movie was delayed multiple times and finally was released in theaters on October 8, 2021.

Why Does Bond Work With The Holiday Season

It is odd that a franchise focused on a British secret agent would feel so right with a uniquely American holiday. Yet there is something about Bond movies that just feel right at home in November. Typically, the movies open a few weeks earlier in the UK, but in the United States, Bond has been a part of the holiday season for two decades. Part of the reason could be the cold London setting fits the weather of the holiday season while the unique locations offer a break from the traditional November weather that feels like an escape.

Yet another major aspect would be the target audience. Bond is an old franchise, now celebrating 60 years. A good portion of the audience who went to go see the original films as kids are now old enough to not only be parents but grandparents and even great-grandparents. It is a franchise that has grown up with its audience, catering to an older movie going crowd that may not go out to the movies as much but will go for a Bond film.

That also has the impact of making them generational films, as they will go with younger relatives and, pun intended, form a bond watching them. It becomes a shared experience, one that can become associated with the holiday. Everyone coming together to enjoy a meal and then afterwards deciding to go out to a movie together and James Bond can appeal to all ages. Thanksgiving just feels like it is missing something when a James Bond movie isn’t around.