After much speculation about the future of the James Bond franchise, there has been some movement. Amazon MGM announced that it has taken over the creative control of 007. This comes after decades of family control that dates back to the Dr. No. The most recent creative controllers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced that they would be stepping back from their creative roles.
A new venture has been formed by Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson, and Broccoli. In this new venture, they will co-own James Bond intellectual property rights. However, Amazon MGM will retain creative control. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. It is expected to close later this year.
“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,” Wilson said in a statement. “Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
In 2022, Amazon purchased MGM Studios for $6.5 billion. The 007 franchise was said to be one of the motivators of this purchase. However, after 2021’s No Time to Die, there hasn’t been another 007 film released. There have been many rumors that Broccoli and Wilson have clashed with Amazon MGM over the future of James Bond.
“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,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “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.”
With this new arrangement for James Bond, it is expected that Amazon MGM will be leaning into making its investment back on its purchase of MGM and the 007 franchise. While this will undoubtedly include new films, it could also include other new uses for the character and franchise.
For many fans, the big question will be who will be portraying 007 in whatever the 26th film is. This will be surrounded by questions of who will be playing other familiar characters like M, Q, perhaps Moneypenny, and of course whoever the villain ends up being. There will also be questions about the production and release timeline as well.
What do you think of this development for the James Bond franchise? Do you have any predictions for who will play Bond next and when the next film will be released? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
