For the first time in over six decades, the James Bond franchise will move forward without the creative direction of the Broccoli family.
Amazon MGM Studios will take full creative control of the James Bond franchise following a new agreement with long-time producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The deal marks the end of an era for the Broccoli dynasty, which has steered 007 through Hollywood’s changing landscape since Dr No (1962).
The end of the Broccoli-Wilson partnership
Michael G Wilson, now 83, had already signalled his intention to retire, and confirming now that he is stepping back to focus on art and charitable projects. Now, Broccoli has confirmed that she too will step back from producing Bond films. In an official statement, she explained:
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.
Wilson added:
With my 007 career spanning nearly sixty incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects.
With both long-time producers stepping aside, Amazon now has full creative authority over the next era of Bond.
What does Amazon MGM’s takeover mean for Bond?
Amazon’s ambitions for 007 extend beyond simply producing films. The company has been working to expand its theatrical distribution arm, positioning itself to handle Bond’s global releases directly rather than relying on outside studios. This would allow Amazon to control both the creative and commercial aspects of the franchise, ensuring maximum return on its investment.
That shift could spell the end of the long development timelines that have become a hallmark of the Broccoli-Wilson era. While No Time to Die took nearly six years to reach the screen, Amazon—accustomed to faster turnarounds—may push for a more aggressive release schedule.
A new Bond, a new direction
With Daniel Craig’s tenure as 007 officially over, speculation over the next James Bond has been rampant. Yet, no casting decisions have been made, and Bond 26 remains in limbo. With Barbara Broccoli no longer holding creative control, Amazon now has the power to reshape Bond’s future in a way unseen since the franchise began.
Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, framed the shift as an opportunity to continue the Bond legacy while ushering in a new era.
Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment,” Hopkins said. “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. 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.
In the short term, the biggest change may be how Bond films are marketed and distributed. Amazon’s upcoming appearance at CinemaCon in April could provide the first glimpse into its vision for Bond’s future, particularly as it builds its international distribution capabilities.
For Bond fans, the uncertainty lingers. The Broccoli name has been synonymous with 007 for over 60 years, shaping the franchise’s identity and keeping it rooted in the traditions established by Cubby Broccoli. Whether Amazon MGM can maintain that legacy—or whether Bond will be reshaped to fit a more modern, corporate model—remains to be seen.
One thing, however, is certain: James Bond has entered uncharted territory.
Source: 007.com
This seems like the only way to actually get a Bond film this decade. It was pretty clear that Brocolli either had very little interest in continuing, or very little interest in playing by Amazon’s rules. In any case, her outside projects have seemingly been her main focus for some time now – and would any of us really want a half-hearted Bond producer steering the ship?
It remains to be seen if Amazon will go the Star Wars route that Disney took, or if they’ll try to retain Bond as a special attraction (ie. films every few years). One would hope they won’t give in to every whim and fancy as Disney did. If there’s one thing to learn from what’s happened with Star Wars, it’s that having a vision and a solid plan in place before moving forward will be crucial (unlike SW).
So the next Bond will be a girlboss ? 😜😜😜
I am relieved that this has happened. Given what Wilson and Broccoli have done with Bond (killing him off), I am glad to see the log-jam broken, and hopefully we will get Bond back where he needs to be. I can imagine so many directions that can be taken by Amazon/MGM, but hopefully, whatever they do, it will be done by someone who truly loves Bond. The only real question now is whether they will continue the theatrical big screen tradition, or try something entirely new, such as adapting the novels ala Jack Reacher. Either way, I’m here for it.
This could be epically bad. They’ve already leaned a little woke. If we get black James Bond, it’s the end of the franchise. Bond, as created by Ian Fleming, is a character deeply rooted in a specific cultural and historical context: a white, British, upper-class male with a naval background, shaped by mid-20th-century colonial attitudes and Cold War dynamics. Casting a Black actor, while feasible in a modern reinterpretation, would fundamentally alter his backstory—shifting the societal privileges, racial dynamics, and cultural experiences that define his identity and interactions. This change risks disconnecting the character from the essence of Fleming’s original vision, which is tied to a particular time, place, and social stratum.
Before people start calling me racist, I am ENTIRELY in favor of a Bond-like character (Maybe 006 or 008) played by a black man. In fact, it could be a great thing to contrast the differences in their backgrounds to create new stories that 007 would not fit into.
No one can predict the future and I personally hated the pick of Daniel Craig at first. Till I saw Casino Royale and lost my mind, I was so excited. Finally, a Real Man, a suave yet deadly agent where the actor looked Completely believable! Not since Connery had an actor command the screen and make the character, who, as he himself says is a killer of people, come alive so vividly! However, this time, it is not the actor whom I am nervous of, but the unknown entities behind the creation and structuring of the character, which will include choosing who it is to become Bond. Based on the incredible garbage that I have seen coming from some of Amazon’s decisions on so called entertainment, as well as Disney literally losing their minds over .8 percent of the population in America; I am no longer wary, nervous, and anxiety filled. I am now in a state of shock, and deep disappointment. Having grown up with the Bond films, and all the novels, I am very astute when it comes to what it takes to make James Bond come to life on the screen. And it is Ian Flemming’s CREATION that is now in danger of simply disappearing into the thick, snake and mosquito filled jungle that is Amazon. Homosexuality is not a problem. Nor is lesbianism. Ian used those traits to create some memorable characters in the novels. Diamonds are Forever is the best example of such use. But if some blind ignorant fool decides to change the gender, race, or heterosexualism of James Bond; the series will die. Now there are several literary characters who could assist a bit in filling the gap, such as Mitch Rapp (American Assassin was just ok, but Dylan O’Brien was perfect), Court Gentry (NOT the one from the Netflix crap, which destroyed the novels), or even if you want to move away just a tad from the special agent sort of thing; there is, in my opinion, the one who could very well become the very best of the so called tough guys, ‘hard men’, and that is Bob the Nailer. Bob Lee Swagger. (Again- forget that absolute mess of a film with Mark Walberg totally miscast). To be done correctly, Bob the Nailer MUST be played by someone along the lines of a younger Gerard Butler, Josh Brolin, or Clint Eastwood. And for goodness sake; keep the MAN heterosexual. There is plenty of room in cinema for NEW characters of the same type and quality who could most definitely be gay, or whatever else someone wants to imagine. If done correctly, the film(s) could be awesome. Personally I feel the real James Bond character Truly did in fact DIE in the last film, which is fine now. Had one of the worst villains anyway. Since when did the Phantom of the Opera appear in any of the novels? That’s it. Gotta go pray in a church, and then maybe attend evening prayer at a mosque. I’m pulling out all the stops.
Barbara Broccoli is gone. Sounds like a nightmare. The woman who emphatically said, many times, that as long as she lives; Bond id a man. And now I find out she is Still alive, but . . . decided not to care enough anymore. The character that gave her everything; all her wealth and powerful standing in the film industry. I feel betrayed. And stunned. Because I believed her. And now I have to remind myself that sometimes I believe a politician when running for office. I think I have a learning disability. Now it will be a committee of some kind involved in trying to keep the character and films alive. well, guess it will be at least another ten years for a Bond film. Not that I need to start eating healthy so I am still alive to see it. Because I have a Strong feeling James Bond is about to go through a torturous reimagining. What is amazing to me is; with the way Disney and Amazon have been leaning toward all the LgbTq stuff, I believe the New Bond will be the guy who gets off the table in Goldfinger AFTER the Lazer finished the job!!
I grew up with Sean Connery’s Bond. I just hope they keep to Ian Fleming’s Bond how he was written and provide us a James Bond 007 we all know and love.
Unsettling. I expected Eon to hold out, but I guess Amazon could play hardball in a way MGM was never able to financially, the rights to the books were going to increasingly enter public domain and the future of big but profitable theatrical releases looks increasingly complicated.
Barbara and Michael have created a series of films of good quality, often exceptional. So I’m unsettled about this news. The films have always had a British feel given so much of the production work was UK based, even if UA and MGM input also gave the films an international outlook too. So I hope future production is largely UK based. I also hope a new producer dedicated to Bond is unveiled in the coming weeks, who can build rapport with the fans over the long term, and they work with key Bond people like David Arnold to keep that authentic Bond feel.
There could be positives. I’m not sure that I want to see a deluge of Bond “content”, but I was frustrated about how big the gaps between movies had become – I would have taken a move back to films consistently released every 3 years, but maybe we could actually get back to one movie every two years under the new regime. Perhaps if a spin off series is inevitable it could be a new character from the next run of films in the in-between years (a Felix Leiter, Wai lin or Jinx were all examples discussed before – key point is that these are spin off characters rather than Bond being the spin off themselves). The first film is going to be crucial – they need a fun crowd pleaser rather than anything too controversial or different – perhaps getting a fab favourite like Henry Cavill or Aaron Taylor Johnson signed up this time around wouldn’t be a bad idea this time around.
Without going too political – perhaps the biggest challenge for an American based production company will be coming up with a plot that captures how James Bond MI6 would deal with current world threats whether geopolitical or overly powerful industrialists….
I certainly agree that this will probably mean more frequent Bond films, which is a big plus. If they do the right Bond spinoff shows then I’ll watch, but I too hope they don’t dilute what is an extremely strong brand with non-core projects under the 007 umbrella.
This is, sadly, the beginning of the end for the James Bond community. It’s too bad that Michael and Barbara couldn’t have passed their creative control tona new generation if the family. Bezos and Amazon tend to destroy everything the touch, and we all know they’ll destroy the Bond world. No time to die! We just entered the time to die. So long, farewell, James Bond. We’ll meet again, in another, better place. Ian, Albert, Harry, Sean, Roger and Desmond will all be there, and we can celebrate with them at the appropriate time. Shaken, yes, and stirred, too, but not in a good way. Thanks, James! We’ll meet again!
Let’s hope that Amazon doesn’t mess up a classic franchise.
Totally agree. BOND (the real one) died (in fiction and in real) in the last TOP MOVIE! No Time to Die was the perfect closing circle that opened 60 years ago. Barbara (and Michael as a side partner) made a miracle years ago with the bet/risk of a reboot with Craig. They really made a miracle and only their legacy could do it.
NO TIME TO DIE! Should have been named THE RIGHT TIME TO DIE!
Cubby, Barbara you’ll always be in our memories and hearts…
Amazon will use the copyright for something different,
not FIT and SUITED for a REAL BOND LOVER!
AMEN!!!!!
Broccoli had nowhere to go. The franchise had taken to killing off Fleming’s characters (Mathis, M, Felix) and finally Bond himself. No doubt someone in the creative team had proposed some notion of how to continue the series, but really, what could that be? Skyfall had very explicitly made it clear Bond was ONE person, not simply a code name regularly reassigned. The DB5 in the lock-up garage is the Goldfinger DB5, and there has only been one James Bond all along. There was no way forward without creating some strange new ‘timeline’, pretending Bond’s worthy death had never happened, or going back to a retro 1950’s story.
I am sure that this has been a far greater obstruction to Bond 26 than casting Bond. They really couldn’t find an actor in four years? Then we have Amazon. If Amazon really hold the exclusive distribution rights then they do, in reality, have creative control. Imagine Broccoli proposing the next step for the Bond series and Amazon simply shaking their heads and declining to promote or distribute it. Where next? Submit to Amazon’s influence, or face years in litigation? No wonder Wilson and Broccoli have had enough. Resurrecting Bond with a strong and supportive partner would be hard enough, but shackled to an obstructive gang of “fucking idiots” it must have felt soul destroying.
Personally, I think cinematic Bond should stop now. Fleming himself had a go at killing Bond in From Russia With Love, and tried again
in YOLT. He would surely have approved of Bond’s self-sacrifice for those he loved in No Time To Die. For Craig’s Bond, nothing in his life became him like the leaving of it.
However, Amazon clearly want Bond and have done their best to force out Wilson and Broccoli. One way or another he’s climbing out of his grave. On a positive note, at least it isn’t Netfilx or Disney, either of whom would undoubtedly be delivering a race/gender swap DEI Bond. Whilst Amazon have a terrible habit of ‘maximising product’ (fancy a 12 episode streaming version of The Spy Who Loved Me?) they have also given us Reacher. A very anti-woke Big White Guy
breaking faces, shooting bad-guys and ‘making friends’ with good looking women.
My last thought on why the time might be right to end Bond. Fleming created a character who was brave, honourable, and loyal. Loyal to Queen, Country, and perhaps above all, to M. To whom would Bond be loyal now? What values would he defend to his last breath and last drop of blood today?
We have the books, we have some fine films, and perhaps we have enough Bond to treasure.
Star Wars was already ruined by Lucas, first by constantly tinkering with the classic films and then The Phantom Menace.