James Bond Shocker: Amazon MGM Gains Creative Control of 007 Franchise as Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson Step Back
By Alex Ritman
Amazon MGM Studios is set to take creative control of the James Bond franchise.
The shock announcement — which is sure to shake and, indeed, stir the industry — was made Thursday, alongside the news that long-time producers and custodians of 007, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, would be stepping back.
As per details of the historic agreement, Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson and Broccoli have formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights. The three parties will remain co-owners of the iconic franchise but Amazon MGM will have creative control.
“Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios.
“We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide. We are honoured to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world.”
Added Wilson: “With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
Broccoli commented, “My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli. I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of ‘No Time to Die’ and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”
In 2022, Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion, acquiring a vast catalog with more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows alongside the rights to distribute all of the James Bond films.
“No Time to Die” — the 25th James Bond film and Daniel Craig’s fifth and final turn as 007 — was released in 2021 and earned $775 million. Since then, despite endless speculation in the press, there have been no announcements regarding the timeline for production of the next film or Craig’s replacement.
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well what could possibly go wrong handing one of the most successful film franchises in the world to the outfit that gave us Rings of Power
Even money says we’re going to see a black James Bond and a “Bond universe”.
Goodbye, Mr. Bond.
Yikes, the mental backflips that people like you must do to find a way to be racist about every little thing that happens in the world… It’s gotta be exhausting.
Naw, Sterling Archer is right. 😄
Next thing you know, they’re gonna want to vote!
And thank Harry Saltzman for selling his Bond shares to United Artist, an MGM company. Bad decision!
That’s United Artists.
PLEASE let Tarantino direct!
Bezos, my heavens.
“They/Them Bond, I presume?” <>
The next James Bond will be, Patton Oswald.
No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die. Said Paramount.
Not like Bond can be any more feminized…
gay bond
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Jeff Bezos Asks Social Media Who Should Play the Next Bond After Amazon Takes Control of 007
After officially taking creative control of the 007 franchise, Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos is taking pitches for who should play the next James Bond.
The billionaire asked his 4.3 million Instagram followers Thursday morning whom they would pick to take on the coveted role after Daniel Craig, who capped off his 15-year run as the Ian Fleming-created character in 2021’s “No Time to Die.” His post received countless comments and suggestions, including “Man of Steel” actor Henry Cavill and “Rebel Ridge” star Aaron Pierre.
Bezos’ comment came the same morning it was announced that longtime Bond film producers and famously unbending franchise stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson formed a new joint venture with Amazon MGM Studios to house the Bond IP rights. As part of the deal, Broccoli and Wilson agreed to cede creative control of the franchise to Amazon.
The shift marks the first time since Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman originally purchased the rights to Fleming’s Bond novels in 1961 that a member of the Broccoli family will not hold the creative reins of the film series, which began over 60 years ago with 1962’s “Dr. No.”
It has been three years since Amazon acquired the distribution rights to the Bond films when it bought MGM in 2022 and four years since Craig formally exited the spy franchise. In his wake, the “Knives Out” actor left behind big shoes for his replacement to fill. Multiple names have been rumored and proposed online to take over the role in the years since, including “Kraven the Hunter” star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, “Gladiator 2” star Paul Mescal and “Challengers” star Josh O’Connor, just to name a few.
Regardless, whoever plays Bond next will join the likes of Craig, Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton on the short list of actors who have portrayed the character.
There were rumors of disagreements between Broccoli, Wilson and Amazon over which direction to take the franchise that may or may not have contributed to the recent dry spell of Bond news. Whether those rumblings were accurate does not matter much now, though, since while Broccoli and Wilson remain co-owners of the franchise, Amazon now has complete control of it.
In a statement Thursday, Broccoli said that after dedicating her life to “maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father,” she felt it was time to “focus on my other projects,” while Wilson revealed that he is similarly stepping back from the world of Bond to “focus on art and charitable projects.” The latter added, “It is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
The post Jeff Bezos Asks Social Media Who Should Play the Next Bond After Amazon Takes Control of 007 appeared first on TheWrap.
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