Amazon has won an elongated struggle to gain full creative control over any productions featuring the James Bond character.
Amazon spent a fortune on acquiring MGM Studios in 2022, in-part to acquire the large library of 007 films and the rights to create future instalments.
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However, until now, the company has been unable to reach an agreement with the owners of the intellectual property – Michael G. Wilson, and Barbara Broccoli.
The latter inherited the rights from her father Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. He was the producer who worked to bring Bond from Ian Fleming’s classic spy novels to the big screen, starting with Dr. No in 1962. He remained a producer right up to 1989’s License to Kill. Wilson was also a producer of Bond films in the 1980s.
Amazon has now found a way to keep Broccoli and Wilson as co-owners of the franchise, while taking the Bond character wherever it wants with new TV shows and movies.
“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 in an announcement.
“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. 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.”
What that next phase is remains to be seen, but we’d bet our bottom dollar on Amazon having an idea and a script ready to go in anticipation of this deal being reached. The question is, are the legacy owners happy that Amazon won’t drive Bond off a cliff? Or did Amazon just reach the number necessary for them to not care?
And let’s keep the main thing the main thing. Who’s going to play Bond? Daniel Craig is out. Who’s next?
Can Amazon be trusted with Bond?
If you’d have told me this news after the first season of Rings of Power, I’d have suggested this was very bad news for 007 fans. However, Amazon won us over with a much-improved second season of its Middle-earth series and has a generally good record when it comes to adaptations.
Fallout was arguably the best series on any streaming platform in 2024. In a similar vein to Bond, Prime Video’s Jack Ryan series starring Jim from The Office was also well regarded.
I’d go as far to say Amazon has done a better job with its acquired properties than Disney has with, say, Star Wars.
Not all is lost, 007 fans.
