Back in May it was announced that Amazon had agreed an $8.45 billion deal to acquire MGM, giving the corporate giant control of the studio’s film library, the jewel in the crown of which is the James Bond rights.
Following the news, many expressed concern as to what the deal could mean for the future of 007 (most notably Skyfall and Spectre co-writer John Logan). Would future movies go directly to Amazon’s streaming service? Could we expect to see the franchise expand with spinoffs, a la Star Wars and Marvel on Disney+?
Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson quickly moved to rule out a straight-to-streaming shift for future movies – reassuring fans that “we are committed to continuing to make James Bond films for the worldwide theatrical audience” – and now they’ve seemingly closed the door on any possible small screen projects.
“We make films. We make films for the cinema. That’s what we do,” said Broccoli when asked by Total Film about the possibility of bringing Bond to the small screen, with Wilson going on to add that: “We’ve resisted that call for 60 years.”
While EON might find itself under increased pressure for a Bond show once the Amazon deal completes, one more pressing matter for Broccoli and Wilson is to announce Daniel Craig’s successor as 007 following his final outing in next month’s No Time To Die, and according to Broccoli, that’s a decision they’re yet to make:
“It’s tough to think about the future until this film has its moment. I think we just really want to celebrate this and celebrate Daniel, and then when the dust settles, then look at the landscape and figure out what the future is. Although I think one thing we’ve certainly learned in the last 18 months is you never know what the future is. So we have to sit down and think about it.”
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Directed by Carey Fukunaga, No Time to Die sees the return of Daniel Craig (James Bond), alongside Ralph Fiennes (M), Naomie Harris (Moneypenny), Rory Kinnear (Tanner), Léa Seydoux (Madeleine Swann), Ben Whishaw (Q), Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) and Christoph Waltz (Blofeld), while new additions include Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049), Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), Billy Magnussen (Velvet Buzzsaw), Dali Benssalah (A Faithful Man) and David Dencik (Top of the Lake).
