The news had the effect of a bombshell. On February 20, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson announced their intention to cede control of the franchise to Amazon MGM Studios. For over sixty years, Cobby Broccoli's children had been working in the shadows to bring new adventures of the famous spy to life. Under their reign, four actors wore the number 007. In 2021, they were still at the helm when Daniel Craig said goodbye to the character. They were also there when Metro Goldwyn Mayer passed into the hands of e-commerce giant Amazon in 2022.
Since then, fans of the English spy have been waiting for the announcement of a new film about him. They have been speculating for years about the identity of the one who will take on the title role. But Amazon's entry into the equation was cause for concern. According to rumors, relations between the historical producers and the firm were particularly tense. While the company founded by Jeff Bezos wants to profit from the brand through numerous spin-off projects, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson wanted to stick to the original recipe.
According to the very serious Wall Street Journal, Barbara Broccoli refused to continue the work of developing James Bond 26 under these conditions. “These people are idiots, so no script, no story, and no new Bond”. For what we imagine to be a tidy sum (a billion according to rumors), Amazon will finally take creative control of the character. No announcement has been made to reveal the identity of those who will work on the next installment.
There's something new
According to Deadline, Amazon MGM Studios is working to find successors to Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Two names are circulating, two illustrious producers on whom the company might want to bet. According to Deadline, it is considering calling on Amy Pascal and David Heyman. The former has already worked on major sagas, such as Spider-Man at Sony. It is to her that the web-slinger owes his biggest successes, commercial with Spider-Man: No Way Home, and esteem with Spider-Man into the Spiderverse.
For his part, David Heyman is a British producer who became known to the general public thanks to his work on the Harry Potter saga in the early 2000s. He is also at work on the Paddington saga and, more recently Barbie and Wonka. According to information from Deadline, the two producers are in talks. The site Puck News reportedly spotted them together a few days ago.
James Bond 26 as a priority
Amazon MGM Studios' priority would first be the realization of the 26th installment of the film franchise. While Amazon declines to comment, the recruitment of Heyman and Pascal would be a first step towards this new era for the character imagined by Ian Flemming. No director has been named. It is also unclear who will have the heavy responsibility of taking over from Daniel Craig as James Bond. If an agreement were to be reached between Amazon and the two producers, it would undoubtedly be the next step in the creation of this new 007 era.
It is also rumored that the studio is considering multiplying projects surrounding the James Bond mythology. This could involve developing spin-off productions. Series, TV game, or both? It remains to be seen whether, without its historical producers, the franchise will manage to reinvent itself and reassure reluctant viewers.
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