James Bond Edited to Remove Racist Content Ahead of Re-release
Weeks after the rights holders to Roald Dahl's library would be changing some of the language included within the books to account for the changing times, the James Bond stable is making a similar move. The decision-makers at Ian Fleming Publications Ltd have decided to remove racist content from the books the blockbuster film series is based on as the property gets ready to celebrate its 70th anniversary. Several of the books have been edited, including Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Thunderball, Quantum of Solance, and Goldfinger.
In addition to the edits, each reprinted book will include a disclaimer reading, "This book was written at a time when terms and attitudes which might be considered offensive by modern readers were commonplace. A number of updates have been made in this edition, while keeping as close as possible to the original text and the period in which it is set."
According to a new report from The Telegraph, racist language has been removed across the board. In addition to that, some other moments have been changed, including a moment in Live and Let Die where the audience at a nightclub was described as "pigs at the trough."
"We at Ian Fleming Publications reviewed the text of the original Bond books and decided our best course of action was to follow Ian's lead. We have made changes to 'Live and Let Die' that he himself authorized," Ian Fleming Publications said in a statement to The Telegraph.
It added, "Following Ian's approach, we looked at the instances of several racial terms across the books and removed a number of individual words or else swapped them for terms that are more accepted today but in keeping with the period in which the books were written. We encourage people to read the books for themselves when the new paperbacks are published in April."
Fleming died in 1964.
The film franchise based on the books has become one of the highest-grossing spy thriller franchise to ever hit the box office. 25 films later and the movies have grossed over $7.8 billion worldwide.