The James Bond franchise is the longest-running in the history of movies, and for the first time in that history, the franchise is under new creative control. According to reporting in The Hollywood Reporter, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, who have been in control of the franchise, have ceded creative control to Amazon and MGM Studios. That means that Amazon will now have creative control over the venerated franchise.
“We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide. We are honored to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world,” Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement on Thursday.
The news of the creative transfer comes as speculation has continued to ramp up about who might play the role next following Daniel Craig’s final entry as the character in 2021.
“My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli. I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects,” Broccoli added.
This means that the future of Bond could be very different from its past, although Amazon has not announced any plans for what will come next. All we know for sure is that, for the first time in this franchise’s venerated history, it’s under new ownership.
