The James Bond franchise is getting a major reboot. Amazon MGM Studios and longtime 007 producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli recently announced the formation of a new joint venture to control the iconic spy movie brand’s intellectual property rights.
Amazon MGM Studios will take creative control of the Bond franchise, while Wilson and Broccoli are set to remain as co-owners of the 60-year-old property. In 2022, Amazon bought MGM, including a sprawling catalog of more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows. Since the MGM acquisition, Amazon has had rights to distribute all Bond films, and following completion of the joint venture, will control the creative direction of future productions, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theaters 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 honored to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world,” Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement last week.
Wilson added he was stepping back from producing Bond movies 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,” Wilson said in his own statement.
News of the joint venture comes amid continuing speculation about the 26th Bond film and who will taker over as 007, after Daniel Craig exited the role following 2021’s No Time to Die. Barbara Broccoli, 64, whose family has been in charge of Bond since 1962’s Dr. No, also issued a statement saying it was time for her to allow Amazon MGM Studios to take over the creative reins.
“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,” Broccoli said.
Craig issued a statement wishing the producers well in the wake of Amazon’s takeover. “My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished,” 56-year-old Craig, who played 007 in five films, told Variety. “I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well-deserved) retirement, and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular and I hope I can be part of them.”
But not everyone is excited about 007 getting the Amazon treatment. New York Post critic Johnny Oleksinki predicted that Amazon would bumble the Bond franchise the same way it diminished The Lord of the Rings with the streamer’s big-budget, poorly-received LOTR series.
Most telling of all is what Amazon has already done to “The Lord of the Rings.” In 2018, the company paid $250 million to snag the TV rights from the Tolkien Estate. That didn’t mean they could make shows off “The Hobbit” or the books that inspired Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning film trilogy, but rather “The Appendices” — bone dry histories of Middle Earth.
Even so, the Sauron-like company committed a reported $1 billion to a five-season series (the most expensive TV show ever made) in hopes of giving Prime Video its own “Game of Thrones.” The difference between HBO’s fantasy epic and “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”? People actually talked about “Game of Thrones.” Amazon’s show barely registers, wins no major awards and is a cheap-looking snooze with a declining viewership.
2021’s No Time To Die, Craig’s final outing as the MI6 agent with a license to kill, raked in $774 million at the global box office. No plans or casting have been announced for the 26th 007 film, but when Amazon boss Jeff Bezos asked “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” to his 6.8 million followers on X, among the most popular replies were Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, according to the BBC.
