James Bond in film Broccoli at Warwick Films expressed interest in adapting the Bond novels, but his colleague Irving Allen was unenthusiastic. In June 1961 Fleming sold a six-month option on the film rights to his published and future James Bond novels and short stories to Harry Saltzman, with the exception of "Casino Royale", which he had previously sold. Towards the end of Saltzman's option period, screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz introduced him to Broccoli, and Saltzman and Broccoli formed Eon Productions with the intention of making the first Bond film. A number of Hollywood studios did not want to fund the films, finding them "too
James Bond in film in the Academy Award-winning song "The Windmills of Your Mind"—and was performed by Lani Hall. Fleming's estate, financially backed by Eon Productions and MGM, made a final attempt to block the film in the High Courts in London in the spring of 1983, but this was thrown out by the court and "Never Say Never Again" was permitted to proceed. When "Never Say Never Again" was released, it grossed $9.72 million ($ million in dollars) on its first weekend, which was reported to be "the best opening record of any "James Bond" film" up to that point and surpassing "Octopussy"s