If Octopussy were released today with the exact same story, characters, and script, I have a hard time believing that title would survive the marketing department. It’s remarkable that it reached theaters unchanged in 1983, although I guess back then society was a bit different. Obviously the Ian Fleming novel nomenclature may get it the greenlight, but I doubt it would be enough to overcome the seeming vulgarity of the word the name provokes. Setting aside any of its controversy, I’ve never found the word to be particularly appealing, and it’s not exactly the sort of title that rolls off the tongue.

Thinking about alternative titles: if the goal were to keep the focus on Octopussy herself and her criminal empire, something like Queen of Thieves or The Octopus Cult feels like the kind of compromise a modern studio might seriously consider, although I can’t pretend either is much of an improvement. It’s no doubt an effective title, it’s just not my favorite.