Amazon takes control of James Bond
Until now, Barbara Broccoli's family of producers still had creative control over the James Bond films, but now they are pulling out. This raises hope.
Succession still unresolved: Daniel Craig in the last Bond "No Time To Die" for the time being.
(Image: MGM)
Amazon's film studio is taking full control of the legendary film agent James Bond. To this end, Amazon MGM Studios is founding a joint venture with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, into which the films and associated rights will be transferred. The partners involved announced on Thursday that the creative control over the future of the series would also be transferred to Amazon.
Until now, the Broccoli family had the final say in the further development of the series. Amazon Studios acquired the film studio MGM four years ago for 8.5 billion US dollars. The long-established studio's extensive catalog includes the 25 James Bond films produced by Broccoli's Eon Productions.
Touched and shocked
The news has touched and shaken the film industry. The departure of the Broccoli family marks the end of an era in film history that stretches from 1962 ("James Bond – 007 hunts Dr. No") to the last film to date, "No Time to Die" from 2021. In over 60 years, six actors have given the cult figure a face.
"My life is dedicated to nurturing and expanding the extraordinary legacy that Michael and I were left by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli," said Broccoli, according to the statement. "With the completion of 'No Time to Die' and Michael's retirement from the movie business, it's time for me to focus on my other projects."
Handing over control of the franchise to Amazon should bring a breath of fresh air to further development. After 'No Time to Die', Bond actor Daniel Craig relinquished the role. Despite numerous speculations, there is still no successor or concrete plans for the next film.
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Relationship shattered
This was also due to the fact that the collaboration between Amazon and Eon Productions was anything but smooth. According to media reports, the relationship between Amazon and the Broccolis had recently broken down completely. The partners are not disclosing the financial details of the agreement that has now been reached, but it is likely that the Broccolis have been generously compensated and will continue to share in the success of the franchise.
One of the points of contention between Broccoli and Amazon, according to industry insiders, was that Amazon wanted to modernize the franchise and open it up to new ideas or spin-offs, while Broccoli stuck to the traditional Bond line. This went as far as the choice of directors. Under new management, directors such as Christopher Nolan or Quentin Tarantino could now be won over to the franchise, speculates the industry magazine Deadline.
The James Bond films are still not part of a streaming subscription and can only be purchased or rented as individual films from Amazon. Only shortly after the official takeover were British Prime customers temporarily able to watch the films with a streaming subscription. It remains to be seen whether the new deal will change this.
(vbr)
