Daniel Craig in No Time to Die.Photo:Nicola Dove/MGM/THA/Shutterstock
Nicola Dove/MGM/THA/Shutterstock
Amazon MGM Studios is set to gain full creative control over theJames Bondfranchise.
On Thursday, Feb. 20, Amazon MGM Studios and longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilsonannouncedthe group had formed a new joint venture to maintain control over the intellectual property rights to James Bond. According to the announcement, the Amazon-owned MGM Studios will hold creative control of Bond projects moving forward.
Wilson, 83, said in a statement that he is “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.”
“I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry,” Barbara, 64, said in a statement. “With the conclusion ofNo Time to Dieand Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”
Daniel Craig, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson on Nov. 17, 2024.Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
Bond fans have been subjected to a number of rumors regarding who may next play the franchise’s lead role in the more than three years that have passed sinceNo Time to Diereleased in theaters.
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The new announcement regarding Amazon’s creative control over the series comes roughly two months afterThe Wall Street Journalpublished a December 2024 report that claimed theBroccoli family and Amazon were “at an impasse” regarding the series' future. The report, which the outlet said was based on interviews with more than 20 people, claimed that Broccoli “doesn’t trust algorithm-centric Amazon with a character she helped to mythologize through big-screen storytelling and gut instinct.”
Daniel Craig in No Time to Die.Nicola Dove
Broccoli and Wilson last spoke publicly about the Bond franchise’s potential future ahead of the 2024Governors Awardsin Los Angeles in November, where theyappeared alongside Craigas they received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Prior to that event, Broccoli and Wilson told theAssociated Pressthat casting a new Bond was “a big decision.”
“People are playing it very safe. I think in times of crisis like this, you’ve got to be brave,” Broccoli said at that time. “It’s certainly a new era in the movie business, so we’re trying to figure it out.”
source: people.com
