GoldenEye (1995) is the seventeenth
spy film in the
James Bond series, and the first to star
Pierce Brosnan as the fictional
MI6 officer
James Bond. The film was directed by
Martin Campbell and is the first film in the series not to take story elements from the works of novelist
Ian Fleming. The story was conceived and written by
Michael France,
with later collaboration by other writers. In the film, Bond fights to
prevent an arms syndicate from using the GoldenEye satellite weapon
against London in order to cause a global financial meltdown.
GoldenEye was released in 1995 after a six-year hiatus in the series caused by legal disputes, during which
Timothy Dalton resigned from the role of James Bond and was replaced by Pierce Brosnan.
M was also recast, with actress
Judi Dench becoming the first woman to portray the character, replacing
Robert Brown.
GoldenEye was the first Bond film made after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the
Cold War, which provided a background for the plot.