The resulting legal battle was settled out of court in 1963. McClory walked away with the literary and film rights to the Thunderball narrative, including its iconic elements: the criminal syndicate SPECTRE, its leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and the plot involving stolen nuclear warheads. When Eon Productions (led by Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman) wanted to adapt Thunderball in 1965, they had to strike a deal with McClory, making him a producer on that single film under the condition that he would not make his own adaptation for at least ten years. The Return of the King (with Constraints)
Never Say Never Again exists as a direct result of a protracted legal battle spanning over two decades. In 1961, Ian Fleming sold the original film rights to Thunderball to producer Kevin McClory after Fleming had incorporated McClory’s screenplay contributions (from an unmade film project called Longitude 78 West ) into the novel. Never Say Never Again -James Bond 007-
In 2013, after decades of litigation, the rights to Never Say Never Again reverted to MGM (the studio behind EON’s Bond). For the first time, the “rogue Bond” was officially allowed to sit alongside Dr. No and Skyfall in the home video box sets. Today, it is legally recognized as a valid part of the 007 filmography, albeit the black sheep of the family. The resulting legal battle was settled out of court in 1963
Back in London, M’s office was a crucible of options. They could trace the module, lock the activation keys in a vault, and try to pinpoint Nevermore’s network. Or they could use the module as bait, broadcast a false activation, and lure Blackbird into a place where geography favored them. "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman) wanted to adapt