In a James Bond shakeup that stirred the film industry, ‘Amazon MGM’ has announced that the studio has taken the creative reins of the ‘007’ franchise after decades of family control. Longtime ‘Bond’ custodians Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they would be stepping back.
‘Amazon MGM Studios’, Wilson and Broccoli formed a new joint venture in which they will co-own James Bond intellectual property rights - but ‘Amazon MGM’ will have creative control. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. The deal is expected to close sometime 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. Therefore, Barbara and I agree - it is time for our trusted partner, ‘Amazon MGM Studios’, to lead James Bond into the future,” Wilson said.
‘Amazon’ bought ‘MGM Studios’ in 2022 for 6.1 billion dollars, a purchase that was significantly motivated by the acquisition of one of the movies’ most beloved and long-running franchises. Since the Daniel Craig era of ‘007’ concluded with 2021’s ‘No Time to Die’, Broccoli and Wilson have reportedly clashed with ‘Amazon MGM’ over the direction of Bond.
The announcement means that for the first time in more than half a century of Bond, Broccoli won’t be greenlighting the next ‘007’ film or picking who inherits his tux. ‘Amazon MGM’ also anticipate expanding the franchise beyond movies.
“We are grateful to the late Albert R Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world and 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,” said Mike Hopkins, head of ‘Prime Video’ and ‘Amazon MGM Studios’.