Given the popularity of the franchise and the box office success of recent instalments, it will come as no surprise to hear that there’s an intense amount of interest in Hollywood with regards to the distribution rights for the James Bond series, following the conclusion of Sony’s four-picture deal with the release of Spectre in 2015.
According to The New York Times, Eon Productions and MGM are now actively taking meetings with regards to a new distribution deal, with Sony, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Annapurna Pictures all said to be keen to add 007 to their slates. Unlike the previous deal, Eon and MGM are only offering a one-picture deal, covering Bond 25, as it is said that MGM wants to keep its options open as it is considering a sale or public offering.
It’s also interesting to note that the deal is not likely to prove very lucrative to the distributor – the previous agreement with Sony saw the studio paying 50% of the production costs for Spectre, along with tens of millions in marketing, in exchange for 25% of certain profits, once costs had been recouped.
In addition to a distributor, Eon and MGM will have to find a new director for Bond 25 following Sam Mendes’ departure from the series, while they may also have to enlist a new 007 if Daniel Craig can’t be convinced to return for what would be his fifth outing as the super spy.
