THE producers of the James Bond franchise have warned they may be forced to return to renaming the old films and hoping no-one notices.
Daniel Craig was set to star in the first Bond film since 1967, but financial troubles at MGM could mean the next instalment will star Sean Connery as 007 for the 114th time.
Bond expert, Denys Finch-Hatton, said: "There are only four films but thanks to felt tip pens, the occasional new song and some dubbing, the franchise has been unstoppable for 48 years."
Dr No, the first Bond film, was made in 1962 and then re-released 32 times, including as Diamonds are Forever in 1971, Moonraker in 1978, For Your Eyes Only in 1981 and most recently as Quantum of Solace starring Connery voiced by Daniel Craig doing a Timothy Dalton impersonation and with some yellowy-brown felt tip covering his hair.
From Russia With Love was made in 1963 and immediately re-released the following year as Goldfinger before being renamed over the decades as Live and Let Die, A View to a Kill, Licence to Kill, Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day.
Meanwhile Thunderball, made in 1965, has now been recycled 37 times, starting with On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969 followed by The Man With the Golden Gun in 1974, The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977 and Casino Royale, the critically acclaimed version of exactly the same film, in 2005.
The next Bond film will be the 28th re-release of You Only Live Twice/Octopussy/The Living Daylights/Goldeneye/The World is Not Enough and is expected to be called Fancy Diamond Gun Car.
Denys Finch-Hatton added: "Every few years it is important to reinvent the James Bond persona with an exciting new title for a re-released film that's also in tune with the audience of the day. I wonder what Fancy Diamond Gun Car is about?"