Hold onto your martinis, folks; this is not a drill! The British roots of our favorite suave superspy, James Bond, are getting a bit of a shake-up. Yep, you heard right; Amazon has officially taken the wheel of the pulsating, globe-trotting 007 franchise. The Brit family, who have fiercely protected and navigated this beloved spy series for six solid decades, have now passed the baton to the tech heavyweight.
It’s kind of a big deal. Bond’s been in the hands of the same dynasty for ages, fending off any Hollywood attempts to hijack the franchise. But as of now, Amazon is stepping into the director’s chair. You could say that Amazon has just scored its license to thrill!
Bezos 007
This groundbreaking news follows the dramatic standoff between Barbara Broccoli, the Bond heiress, and the Seattle-based conglomerate, which has been hunting for a more significant stake in the spy game since their hefty $8.5 billion splurge on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer back in 2021. Barbara, alongside her brother and fellow Bond producer, Michael G. Wilson, were less than chuffed with Amazon’s grand visions for the franchise.
But clear the air, they did. The siblings and Amazon have now formed a unique joint venture to protect the future of Bond, officially co-owners, but with Amazon MGM Studios taking the coveted director’s seat once the deal is done and dusted this year. Now, the family duo previously held the decision-making power from the next Bond flick’s timeline, who gets the honor of suiting up as the titular character, and whether remakes and TV spin-offs get the green light. They even had their say on every line of dialogue, casting call, stunt sequence, and every single marketing tie-in, TV ad, poster, and billboard. Talk about control!
Mike Hopkins, the big wig of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, gave a big shoutout to the siblings for their unwavering commitment to the franchise, stating he was excited about guiding the legendary 007 into its next chapter for fans worldwide.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, folks. James Bond is entering a brand-new era under the wings of Amazon. We can’t deny we’re intrigued to see how the tech giant will navigate this iconic series’ future. Will the next Bond film have a touch of Alexa? Perhaps Q’s cool gadgets will become Amazon Prime eligible? Or maybe Bond himself will be chilling with a Kindle in between high-speed chases? Who knows? One thing’s for sure, though: our favorite spy is set for some interesting times. Stay tuned!
