Jeff Bezos –along with, like, literally every other human on the planet– has often spoken about how much he loves James Bond. He loves it so much, that in 2022, Amazon bought the rights to the 007 series when it acquired MGM for USD8.45 billion. After an initial agreement between the 007 franchise owners, the Broccoli family, and producer Michael G. Wilson who have overseen the franchise since 1990, have just announced that they have relinquished all creative control over the series, giving Amazon MGM Studios all the power.
“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,” said producer Michael Wilson. “Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
“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,” said Barbara Broccoli. “I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry.”
Former James Bond himself, Daniel Craig said of the news: “My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished. 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.”
The last time we saw James Bond on screen he died. The film in question, No Time to Die, was quite uninspiring, but such is often the case with the final installment for each consecutive actor who plays the eponymous superspy (Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan’s final Bond film, was also pretty lame, and a far cry from his first appearance in Golden Eye).
And as we’ve now come to find the hard way when big studios take over a beloved franchise, we now have the James Bond Multiverse to look forward to. This means that in the near future, don’t be surprised if Amazon Studios announces a series of spin-off shows titled, Moneypenny: The Early Years, Q and The DB5, and a James Bond origin story showcasing a young Bond at Eton, getting into his first fistfight, and subsequently being scouted by MI6.
And although we still don’t have an official nod of who will fill the James Bond role next, I’m not sure that will matter entirely as there won’t be merely one James Bond, but several. One for the big screen, one for TV, one for the young origin story, and one for, well, I don’t know, but they’ll think of something.
