Long-time James Bond custodians, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are to hand over creative control of the franchise to Amazon MGM Studios.
The last film, No Time To Die, was released back in 2021 and still no decision appears to have been made over who’ll replace Chester’s Daniel Craig as the new Bond.
However, today’s news is likely to mean a major increase in Bond-related content.
Broccoli said that she and her half-brother, Wilson, would “remain co-owners of the franchise” as part of a new joint venture, but Amazon MGM Studios would gain creative control.
“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,” she said.
“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.
“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.”
Wilson added:
“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.”
Cubby Broccoli launched the franchise with co-producer, Harry Saltzman and Wilson in 1985. His daughter, Barbara took over from him in 1995, with the film, GoldenEye.
Since then, all the Bond films have been produced through their Eon operation. It’s not always been an easy ride, with the 25th James Bond film originally having Danny Boyle attached as director, before “creative differences” meant he pulled out.
READ MORE – James Bond team announce Danny Boyle’s replacement
Eon was owned by MGM, which, in 2022 was acquired by Amazon for $8.5bn. That meant that the Bond rights were shared between both companies.
“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.”
What it’s likely to mean is not just more Bond films, but potentially an extension of the franchise. 007: Road To a Million was Prime’s first television series using the brand, but it could also mean that Prime follows the same route as Disney+ has with the Stars Wars universe. It’s widely reported that this was something that the Eon team had been reluctant to approve.
In the meantime rumours continue about who will replace Craig in the 26th Bond film, with Happy Valley’s James Norton the favourite, along with Divergent’s Theo James and Kick-Ass’ Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
