James Bond in film of the funding for the Bond films, fell into financial difficulties following the box office failure of "Heaven's Gate" (1980), bringing uncertainty to the future of the funding. The situation was resolved in May 1981, when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired United Artists. Following "For Your Eyes Only", Roger Moore had expressed a desire to stop playing James Bond. His original contract had been for three films, a requirement fulfilled with "The Spy Who Loved Me". Subsequent films had been negotiated on a film-by-film basis. The producers engaged in a semi-public quest for the next actor to play Bond, which would be for
The James Bond Dossier of Bond's correct designation: 'It's inaccurate, of course, to describe James Bond as a "spy", in the strict sense of one who steals or buys or smuggles the secrets of foreign powers ... Bond's claims to be considered a "counter-spy", one who operates against the agents of unfriendly powers, are rather more substantial'. Although, as noted elsewhere, Amis wrote three books related to the James Bond franchise, and may or may not have contributed to one of Fleming's novels, "The James Bond Dossier" would end up being the only book of this type to be published under Amis's own name.