Shock for "James Bond" fans: After 25 films, everything could now change
Los Angeles/London - Will 007 be drinking his martini stirred from now on? There has been a real bang behind the scenes of the "James Bond" universe: after almost 63 years in the hands of the Broccoli family, Amazon will now gain "creative control". The change of power could mean big changes for the agent franchise.
Amazon bought the film studio MGM, which had been responsible for the 007 film series for decades, back in 2022. But for a long time, it looked as if legendary Bond producer Barbara Broccoli (64) and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson (83) would retain control of the agent films. They kept giving updates on the possible successor to Daniel Craig (56).
Then on Thursday (local time) came the surprising change of power: Broccoli and Wilson announced their resignation as producers. They "will remain co-owners of the franchise", but Amazon MGM Studios "will gain creative control".
"As my 007 career spans nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charity projects," Wilson shared.
"My life has been dedicated to preserving and building on the extraordinary legacy left to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli," Broccoli also explained. "With the completion of [James Bond 007: No Time to Die] and Michael's retirement from the film industry, I think it's time to focus on my other projects."
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One of the best-known and most popular series in film history is therefore facing a drastic change. It is hard to predict which direction Amazon will take the franchise in. The purchase of The Lord of the Rings series rights brought the internet giant good viewing figures, but also largely negative criticism.
As soon as Amazon boss Jeff Bezos became aware of the creative realignment, he immediately addressed fans directly via X (formerly Twitter): "Who would you choose as the next Bond?"
The search for Craig's successor had recently come to a standstill. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (34, "Bullet Train", "Nosferatu") already seemed to have been confirmed as the new 007, but the negotiations apparently did not lead to any results (for the time being).
In addition to the 34-year-old, James Norton (39, "Happy Valley", "Little Women") and Theo James (40, "Allegiant", "The Gentlemen") are currently considered promising candidates for the coveted Bond job.