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There are persistent rumours that it was because Americans didn't know what the word 'revoked' meant, but the more mundane reason, at least according to Bond scholar Jim Smith, is that the title tested poorly with US audiences who mostly associated the term with having a driving licence suspended.
As many know, Licence to Kill was originally titled Licence Revoked, and was changed somewhat late in the process (as we know from seeing early concept art with the original title). Most sources state that after marketing research, American audiences in particular thought the movie was about a driver's license getting revoked, not James Bond.
TIL that the James Bond film "License to Kill" was originally titled "License Revoked", but was changed after American test audiences thought the title referred to Bond's driver's license instead of his license to kill from MI6.
Licence to Kill was the first Bond film to not use the title of an Ian Fleming story. Originally titled Licence Revoked, the name was changed during post-production due to American test audiences associating the term with driving licence.
Jul 31, 2024 · The movie was originally titled “Licence Revoked,” but producers thought American viewers wouldn’t get the meaning, and test audiences were associating it more with a driver’s license.
Jul 6, 2012 · Effective immediately, your licence to kill is revoked, and I require you to hand over your weapon. Now. I need hardly remind you that you re still bound by the Official Secrets Act.
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In the movie, when M says to James Bond, "Your Licence to kill is revoked", both titles are referenced at the same time. After a minor controversy as to whether the British or American spelling ("licence" or "license") would be used in the title, the British spelling won out.
