Earlier this year, when Amazon acquired the rights to creatively control the James Bond franchise, rumours swirled around just how much the company paid EON Productions to get that oversight.
Some had the number pegged at an astronomical $1 billion. It turns out the actual cost was considerably less.
In a new earnings report, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson’s EON Productions revealed that the total cost of the sale of their interest in the Bond franchise to Amazon came in at a total of $20 million.
What’s not clear is how the deal is structured and whether additional elements outside of that payment were included – ie. stock options, profit sharing.
Part of the deal was that the franchise now resides under a joint venture to house the intellectual property rights – Amazon, Wilson and Broccoli are all co-owners of the property.
Wilson and Broccoli have been the longtime stewards of the franchise and have overseen all creative decisions up through “No Time to Die”. With them now essentially on the sidelines, producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal are now serving in that capacity.
The next film in the series is being directed by “Dune” helmer Denis Villeneuve and written by “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight.
Source: Variety
