James Bond will return, but things will be very different behind the scenes when he does. Amazon MGM Studios has announced that it now has full creative control of the 007 franchise after long-time series producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson revealed they would be “stepping back.”
Uniquely when it comes to the major movie franchises, James Bond films have always been a family business. Legendary Hollywood producer Albert R. Broccoli was the brains behind the adventures of the super-spy (initially with partner Harry Saltzman before going it alone) from 1962 to 1989. From 1995’s GoldenEye onward, the job passed onto his children — daughter, Barbara Broccoli, and step-son, Michael G. Wilson.
“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,” Broccoli said in a statement following news of the Amazon deal. “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. 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 Broccolis have been known for their close quality control over the Bond brand over the past three decades, having previously vetoed all kinds of spin-off and TV show pitches, so now that Amazon has the keys to the Aston Martin without them around all bets are off when it comes to what’s next for the IP.
So protective of Bond was Barbara that reports say her friends are “gobsmacked” that she would ever cede control to Amazon like this. It must’ve been an “emotional decision,” one source told Deadline. “She’s a fighter,” they said. “But she got tired of fighting.”
How much did Amazon pay Barbara Broccoli for creative control of James Bond?
In other words, it sounds like Amazon made Barbara an offer she couldn’t refuse. Broccoli is believed to have had a net worth of circa $400 million by the start of 2025, thanks to her enormous success in the filmmaking industry, but that may well have just more than doubled thanks to her deal with Amazon.
According to Deadline, it’s believed that Jeff Bezos’ company coughed up a total of $1 billion in order to persuade the Broccolis to fork over creative control to the Bond brand. Obviously, it’s unlikely to be a simple 50/50 between the two siblings, but if this enormous figure is accurate then Barbara’s net worth could now be somewhere around $900 million. Even if she was passionate about keeping 007 in the family, it’s hard to begrudge her accepting an offer big enough to leave Auric Goldfinger salivating.
Daniel Craig has offered his support for the Broccolis amid their stepping back from Bond. “My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished,” he said. “I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well deserved) retirement and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular and I hope I can be part of them.”
The Knives Out actor’s comments seem to back up those rumors that Broccoli is looking to make an adaptation of Othello starring Craig. She is also working on a remake of another Ian Fleming creation, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In the meantime, Broccoli can likely be found swimming in a bank vault full of money, à la Scrooge McDuck.
Published: Feb 21, 2025 09:36 am