Casino royale dvd cover
MI6
Poster illustrator extraordinaire Robert McGinnis was drafted back into Bond duty in for the re-release of the spoof 'Casino Royale' on DVD.
McGinnis originally created the stunning artwork for the film's theatrical release poster, and sometime after MGM re-acquired the rights to the film and planned a Collector's Edition DVD launch in , they commissioned McGinnis to recreate the iconic poster for the sleeve (they had previously used the woman in silhouette). The new design was also used for the 40th-anniversary release.
Right: Original poster artwork by Robert McGinnis
It is not known why the new artwork was commissioned, but perhaps having 'James Bond ' so central to the original art, when MGM probably wanted some distance from the official series, may have been a factor. The words James Bond and are nowhere to be seen on the updated DVD and Blu-Ray covers.
Robert McGinnis 'Casino Royale' DVD artwork x inches, gouache and pencil on board
On the reverse of the artwork, McGinnis has made some notes about the characters featured in the artwork. Perhaps this slipped by MGM, but he lists his James Bond incarnation as 'Roger Moore.' Seen below, the Bond character that appears on the girl's lower back does indeed look like he's based on a 'Live And Let Die' publicity shot of Moore.
Did anyone spot the Roger Moore-like James Bond?
The updated artwork by McGinnis will be going under the hammer at Heritage Auctions on Friday 13th October Offered at no reserve, the lot is expected to fetch $15, - $25,
DVD release sleeve using the updated design by McGinnis