Daniel Craig

Never Say Never Again was famously a standalone Bond adventure starring Sean Connery, but here's why planned sequel S.P.E.C.T.R.E. didn't happen.

Instead, McClory waited a decade before embarking on the project that eventually became Never Say Never Again - which has never been in a Bond boxset. Sadly, few details are available as to McClory's plans for S.P.E.C.T.R.E., and it's possible that given the legal restrictions on what could and couldn't be used in Never Say Never Again - for example, it lacked the famous Gunbarrel opening - it would have had to reuse Thunderball's basic story again. The actor had something of a stressful time making the movie, as it felt it was underfunded and he had to take on certain production duties himself. McClory, alongside a writer named Jack Whittingham, had collaborated with author Ian Fleming on a Bond screenplay that formed the basis of Thunderball. After this film project was abandoned, Fleming reused its plot for his own novel without crediting his co-writers, leading to McClory suing and claiming the movie rights. In interviews following Never Say Never Again, he didn't sound eager to return once again, and as producers were trying to mount S.P.E.C.T.R.E. he made it clear he was completely done with 007. He was uncomfortable with the level of fame it brought and clashed with producers over his level of compensation.