Even before Amazon completed the purchase of MGM in a deal worth over $8 billion, the next iteration of James Bond was shaping up to be a hugely important one. The 60th anniversary of the franchise will be coming next year at the same time a new actor is being sought for the title role following the conclusion of the Daniel Craig era.
There’s every chance we may have discovered the latest incumbent of the tux by now, had No Time to Die not ended up being delayed by eighteen months as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, with the Amazon takeover now throwing a potential spanner into the works. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson arguably have more control over the property than any producer in Hollywood wields over a major brand, with the possible exception of Kevin Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, and you can guarantee the duo will dig their heels in if their new corporate overlords try to reshape Bond in their own image.
Broccoli and Wilson have huge amounts of creative influence and veto power; they’ve turned down multiple offers for spinoffs and prequels built out from the Bond universe in the past, so it’s going to be fascinating to see how they end up getting on with Amazon. The publicity-shy pair have released a rare public statement via their PR team, though, in which they acknowledge the future of the iconic series is facing one of its most critical moments ever.
“Mike and Pam understand that we are at a critical juncture and that the continuing success of the James Bond series is dependent on us getting the next iteration right and will give us the support we need to do this.”
Any behind-the-scenes uncertainty could potentially hold up the casting search for the next James Bond, so Broccoli and Wilson will certainly be seeking clarity from Amazon, who’ve already promised that the feature films will remain theatrical exclusives. They’re hardly going to be keen on the idea of not monetizing it as much as possible across their entire multimedia umbrella.