Mads Mikkelsen’s Star-Making Blockbuster Finds New Streaming Home

We all know what Casino Royale‘s success did for Daniel Craig, but the movie was just as important for Mads Mikkelsen, who played the villainous Le Chiffre so memorably. Mikkelsen had gotten his start only a few years ago, working with Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn on the cult favorite Pusher trilogy. Casino Royale was his first major Hollywood role, and he made the most of it. Much of the film’s drama comes from the interplay between James Bond and Le Chiffre, who set the bar really high for his successors. Along with the rest of the 007 collection, Casino Royale is now available to watch at home on Prime Video.

Released in 2006, the movie was directed by Martin Campell, who previously introduced Pierce Brosnan as Bond around a decade earlier. Craig was a controversial choice for the character, but one glimpse of him as 007 convinced even the biggest skeptics. He went on to earn a BAFTA nod for his gritty, emotional performance as the suave spy. With a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, Casino Royale also introduced the world to Eva Green, who played “the only woman Bond ever loved,” Vesper Lynd. The movie went on to earn nearly $600 million worldwide, against a reported budget of $150 million. Bond is set to be rebooted, with Craig having wrapped up his tenure with No Time to Die a few years ago.

Mikkelsen Has Emerged as a Creative Powerhouse

Director Denis Villeneuve has been hired to helm the new 007 film, with Steven Knight writing the script. A young, relatively unknown British actor is reportedly being hunted to play the coveted role, with the franchise’s rights now resting with Amazon following an extended creative stalemate. Mikkelsen, meanwhile, has gone on to play villains in big-budget films such as Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. He also played the lead role in the television series Hannibal, and received critical acclaim for his starring roles in the Danish movies The Hunt, Another Round, and The Promised Land.

You can watch Casino Royale on Prime Video, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date

November 17, 2006

Runtime

144 minutes

Director

Martin Campbell

Writers

Neal Purvis, Paul Haggis, Robert Wade