Bond 25 may have found its 007, with Daniel Craig confirmed as reprising the role for his fifth and final outing, but the next instalment still needs to find a director, not to mention a new distributor after Eon and MGM’s deal with Sony expired with the release of Spectre.
Over the past few months, Sony, Universal, Fox and Warner Bros. have all been pursuing the property, with Warner Bros. said to be front runner. However, THR is reporting that both Amazon and Apple have now entered the race, with Apple reportedly keen not only on the distribution rights, but securing a deal for full ownership of the franchise with a view to continuing the big screen series, as well as exploring its untapped TV potential. The cost for such a full ownership deal could range from anywhere between $2 billion and $5 billion.
Meanwhile, the report also claims that Chinese companies could be ready to make a bid for the movie and licensing rights. It’s said that the Bond franchise is viewed as “really undeveloped” in terms of exploiting the IP across all mediums, with an increased emphasis on merchandising, spinoffs, and a cinematic universe (something that’s already been rumoured).
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