Earlier this month, it was reported that Amazon was currently in talks to acquire the film studio MGM and its entire James Bond library, and now, Variety is reporting that Amazon has agreed a purchase the Hollywood studio for $8.45 billion.
As a result of the acquisition, the company will gain a stacked film and television library that includes 4,000 movies, 17,000 TV shows, 177 Oscar wins, 12 Best Picture winners, the entire James Bond franchise (the rights to James Bond are still owned by EON Productions), the Rocky and Creed movies, Legally Blonde, Poltergeist, Robocop, Silence of the Lambs, and many more. Amazon will also acquire TV series including Vikings and Emmy-winning series such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Fargo and Survivor.
“I am very proud that MGM’s Lion, which has long evoked the Golden Age of Hollywood, will continue its storied history, and the idea born from the creation of United Artists lives on in a way the founders originally intended, driven by the talent and their vision. The opportunity to align MGM’s storied history with Amazon is an inspiring combination,” said Kevin Ulrich, MGM’s chairman.
“The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of [intellectual property] in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team,” said Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. “It’s very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.”
Amazon/MGM’s upcoming slate includes the Ridley Scott-directed House of Gucci movie, Paul Thomas Anderson’s next film, the Ron Howard-directed Thai Cave rescue film Thirteen Lives, a Pink Panther reboot, the Michael B. Jordan-directed Creed III, Project Hail Mary, an adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel that will star Ryan Gosling, and Daniel Craig’s fifth and final outing as James Bond in No Time to Die.
