In a surprise development, long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson ceded control of the James Bond franchise to Amazon MGM.
Well, we can safely file this news story under “Did not see that coming.” As reported by Variety, producer Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson have stepped back from the James Bond franchise, with Amazon MGM taking the wheel. Wilson and Broccoli will remain as co-owners of the franchise alongside Amazon MGM, but the latter will have full creative control over all things 007.
UPDATE: It’s been confimed that a new joint venture has been formed. More on that here.
The James Bond franchise has been in a state of flux since the release of 2021’s No Time To Die, which marked the end of the Daniel Craig era. Amazon purchased MGM in 2022 and gained the rights to James Bond, but there has been no word of a new film, casting, or anything about a new film in the franchise since.
In December, there were rumours that there was friction between Broccoli and Amazon MGM, and while we’ll never know how true those rumours are, the two have decided to part ways.
“With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years,” Wilson said in a statement, “I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
“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,” said Barbara Broccoli. “I have had the honour 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.”
There’s still no word on where the franchise goes from here. Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, did say some very nice, if slightly generic things about Broccoli and Wilson in a statement.
“Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment,” Hopkins said.
“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 honoured to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world.”
As always, we’ll bring you more on this as we hear it.
