Michael Caine's perfect James Bond replacement, The Ipcress File, was unfortunately cut short by two back-to-back sequel flops. With more than 175 acting credits to his name, Caine has starred in classic movies such as The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Get Carter (1971), and Alfie (1966). Caine is also celebrated for starring in several of Christopher Nolan's best movies, such as Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight, and The Prestige.

The Ipcress File was released in 1965 and starred Caine and a clever spy in London named Harry Palmer. The film was directed by Sidney J. Furie and also featured appearances by Nigel Green, Guy Doleman, Sue Lloyd, and Gordon Jackson. The Ipcress File received an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 97% matched with an audience score of 85%. The success and acclaim of the first film sparked two back-to-back sequels in 1966 and 1967, which tanked hard and essentially sunk the spy franchise.