Amazon is now in charge of James Bond

Hollywood was shaken and stirred yesterday, following an announcement that longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson relinquished creative control of the James Bond franchise to Amazon MGM.

• Ever since the first James Bond movie – 1962’s Dr. No – the franchise has been overseen by a Broccoli, with Barbara herself involved since 1987's The Living Daylights.
• The pair will still retain co-ownership.

The move settles a yearslong stalemate

Amazon purchased MGM in 2022 for $8.5 billion with visions of tuxedos and Aston Martins in its eyes.

The studio counted James Bond, with ~$7.8 billion in box-office sales to his name, as one of its biggest pieces of IP. The franchise was also riding high following the success of No Time to Die, which had turned in the third-best box office performance for a Bond film the year prior.

But…the only James Bond-related product to hit screens since has been the rarely viewed or talked about 007: Road to a Million, a reality show hosted by Succession’s Brian Cox. It was in development prior to the sale, with Broccoli’s approval.

Behind closed doors, Broccoli reportedly wasn’t a fan of Amazon’s moviemaking approach, according to a December 2024 Wall Street Journal investigative report, telling friends about the company: “These people are f— idiots.”

👀 Looking ahead: With disagreements in the rearview and Amazon in the driver’s seat, James Bond is seemingly clear to go back into the field. Spinoffs and additional movies could soon be in the works.