With the sale of MGM to Amazon, immediate jokes and speculation have arisen as to what’s next for the James Bond franchise and whether this means a 007 limited series could be in the works.
The franchise’s gatekeepers, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, have shut that talk down straight away. The pair, in a statement to Variety, say: “We are committed to continuing to make James Bond films for the worldwide theatrical audience.”
EON Productions is owned by the Broccoli family which retains creative control of the Bond franchise. The original and ironclad deal made several decades ago by Barbara’s late father Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli is expected to remain locked in place.
That deal sees MGM having the right to finance and distribute all of the Bond movies, guaranteeing a theatrical release, and for the studio to split the profits with EON. EON also has final say on everything to do with the film including marketing and distribution plans to who plays James Bond.
It’s not clear how long a theatrical window the films will have before eventually landing on Amazon Prime Video in this new arrangement. Nevertheless, the Bond franchise is MGM’s crown jewel so don’t expect it to go away anytime soon.
Daniel Craig’s fifth and final outing as 007 in “No Time To Die” arrives exclusively in cinemas in October.
