Extensive Spectre Featurette Offers Up A James Bond History Lesson

It’s all here. The bombastic set-pieces; the larger-than-life villains; the famous gun barrel – heck, even the innuendos get a mention. In an attempt to rein in the sprawling and decorated lore of one James Bond, Sony and MGM have published a featurette in preparation of Spectre that recounts the 50-year history of the legendary super-spy, and you’ll look high and wide to find a better history lesson about all things Bond before November 6.

Narrated and presented by British comedian-cum-talk show host Jonathan Ross, the footage may be a little cheesy at first, but persevere past the hyperbolic opening and there’s plenty to enjoy, as Ross revels in the rich history of Ian Fleming’s title character. The video charts the legacy left by each respective actor that has donned the tuxedo and license to kill – from Sean Connery to Pierce Brosnan, everyone gets a mention – before culminating towards Daniel Craig’s ongoing tenure as the 00 agent.

As Ross points out, emulating the critical and commercial success of the previous entry in the series – Skyfall, which Sam Mendes also directed – will be the biggest task left facing Craig and his director. It was, after all, the first chapter in MGM’s longstanding stealth juggernaut to surpass the coveted $1 billion mile marker at the worldwide box office, though we’re more interested on Spectre‘s critical performance and whether it can stand shoulder to should with the pair’s previous effort.

Spectre will welcome cast members both old and new into the James Bond canon including Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Christoph Waltz, Monica Bellucci, David Bautista, Léa Seydoux, and Stephanie Sigman when it opens in theaters on November 6 in North America.

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond (Daniel Craig) on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE.