Creative control over 007: License to stream: The new boss of James Bond is Amazon

This announcement shaken the 007 world – and touched. The James Bond films were a family matter for more than 60 years. Now the long -time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson apparently have enough. The duo caused a tangible surprise on Thursday and announced that it would give creative control.

In the future, James Bond will receive his dangerous orders directly from Tech giant Amazon. The popular film franchise faces a major upheaval.

James Bond was a family matter for over 60 years

Wilson (83), who had had a short guest appearance in every Bond film since the 1970s, declared his retirement on Thursday. “Almost 60 incredible years my career was marked by 007,” he said. In the future he wanted to concentrate on art and charitable projects.

His stepsister Broccoli (64) also said that for them the time had come to devote themselves to other things in the future. She had already produced other films and plays, including “Othello” with ex-Bond actor Daniel Craig.

The decision marks an amazing turn. In 2022, Amazon took over the MGM studios for $ 8.5 billion and thus acquired the MGM archive with more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV series. The James Bond series also included.

Amazon thus received shares of 50 percent in the agent franchise. Creative control initially remained alone with Broccoli and Wilson and their companies Danjaq and Eon Productions.

British media reported tense relationship

Most recently, according to the British media, the constellation had caused tensions with Amazon MGM Studios. Because while Broccoli and Wilson James Bond guarded as a cultural asset, 007 is for the stock market -driven group of lucrative content that needs to be capitalized. According to the “Wall Street Journal”, Broccoli is said to have recently referred to the Amazon managers as “idiots”.

Now it all sounds very different. There is no trace of resentment towards Amazon in the message on the official website of the James Bond films and on social media. “Barbara and I agree,” emphasized Wilson. “Now is the perfect moment so that our reliable partner, Amazon MGM Studios, leads James Bond into the future.”

“The negotiations have probably been buzzing since the Amazon takeover,” believes Bond expert Ajay Chowdhury, lawyer for intellectual property in the film industry and spokesman for the James Bond International Fan Club. “The shareholders expect a return on their investment, and in a time major upheavals in the film industry, changes had to occur sooner or later.”

Bond as a TV series and a spin-off for Miss Moneypenny?

Amazon opens up many options to submit creative control. To imagine what the future of James Bond could look like, you have to look at the “Star Wars” universe.

With the takeover of Lucasfilm 2012, the Disney group received control over space saga. Since then, five films, both sequels and spin-offs, and twelve “Star Wars” television series-have been published with a strongly fluctuating quality.

Many Bond fans now fear that their favorite spy will be trapped. “James Bond is marketed to death,” commented the “Far Out Magazine”. 007 is built into a “huge cross-media monster”, the “Radio Times” speculates and speaks of “Bonds so far the most difficult mission”.

The adventures of Miss Moneypenny or the history of villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld? It should only be a matter of time before the first TV series or a spin-off from the world of James Bond has premiere at his own streaming service Prime Video.

Cinema experience or license to stream?

Speaking of streaming: Broccoli and Wilson, even in times of Corona, insisted that a new James Bond film must always be shown first in the cinema.

Because of the pandemic, they had moved the start of “no time to die” twice so that the audience could experience the film on the big screen. “No Time to the” (original title) played almost 740 million euros worldwide at the box office.

Not to rule out that the famous secret agent – shaken naturally, not touched – drinks the Prime Video directly at the streaming service in the future. The decision about the new, seventh James Bond actor is now at Amazon MGM Studios.

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos (61), which some fans sarcastically compare with the bond villains of earlier films, asks on X who the next 007 should be.

“James Bond Will Return” has been said since 1962 at the end of every 007 adventure. According to the announcement, which causes a lot of sensation worldwide, it is certain that the famous secret agent returns. But what his future looks like is more uncertain than ever.