“Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” Amazon founder Jeff Bezos asked his 6.8 million X followers on Thursday, the day it was announced that the James Bond franchise will now be creatively controlled by Amazon MGM Studios.
The corporation has taken guardianship over the British spy series from longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the daughter and stepson, respectively, of original Bond steward Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, who died in 1996.
According to the agreement, Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson, and Broccoli have formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights. All three parties will retain co-ownership of the franchise, but following the closing of the transaction, Amazon MGM will have ultimate creative say over the character’s direction in future films. Amazon MGM Studios was formed in 2022 when Amazon bought Bond’s parent studio in an $8.5 billion deal—with the Bond IP believed to be sizable motivation for the acquisition.
“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,” Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement. “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.”
Based on Ian Fleming’s novels, Bond was first introduced to the moviegoing public by the senior Broccoli and Saltzman with 1962’s Dr. No. Over the next 60 years, Wilson joined as a producer for 1985’s A View to a Kill. Once her father retired, Broccoli partnered with her stepbrother as a producer on 1995’s GoldenEye—a collaboration that has endured until now.
“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 in a statement.
Broccoli said in her own remarks: “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. 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.”
The shaking and stirring of the cocktail that is James Bond comes amid uncertainty about the franchise’s future. Daniel Craig’s last bow as 007 came in 2021’s No Time to Die. Prior to Craig’s departure, Broccoli told Variety in 2020 that the superspy “can be of any color, but he is male,” adding, “I believe we should be creating new characters for women—strong female characters. I’m not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that.”
Since then, there has been rampant speculation about who is playing Bond, which Broccoli last addressed shortly after the Amazon MGM merger. “We’re working out where to go with him,” she said at a 2022 BFI event, according to Deadline. “It’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is, and that takes time.”
There seems to have been little movement on the next Bond film, possibly in part because of a “decaying partnership” between Amazon and the longtime producers, as reported by The Wall Street Journal last December. Sources told the publication that Broccoli had confided in friends that she was concerned over the abrupt departures of MGM film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy following the company’s sale. The WSJ also reported that Broccoli, dismayed over the use of the word “content” in relation to James Bond during one meeting, allegedly told friends of Amazon brass, “These people are fucking idiots.” (Vanity Fair has reached out to representatives for Eon, the production company behind the Bond films, as well as Amazon MGM for comment.)
Since news of Amazon’s creative oversight, Joe Russo, a frequent director in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, wrote on X to plead that the company “DON’T cinematic universe James Bond,” adding, “It is one of our last, great theatrical events. Don’t dilute that with a plethora of streaming spin-offs.”
Last year, the most recent Bond paid tribute to Broccoli and Wilson for their commitment to shepherding the character’s cinematic output. “Over the years, many people and organizations have tried to put their own footprint on Bond,” Craig said while presenting them with honorary Oscars last November. “Barbara, Michael, I can’t tell you how much I admire your integrity in holding on to your singular vision as you brought Bond into the 21st century with a passionate and protective determination to honor the heart of this franchise.”
