Special agent 007, also known as James Bond, has been absent from theaters in recent years. However, the super spy may be back in action thanks to one of Hollywood’s most recent negotiations. On February 20, 2025, Amazon announced that they would be taking complete creative control over the Bond franchise from long-time producer and half-sibling duo, Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The deal itself is somewhat of a continuation of Amazon’s purchase of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) in 2022, wherein they paid $8.5 billion for the rights to more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows. While this initial deal granted Amazon distribution rights to the $7 billion grossing Bond franchise, one of the caveats was that they were not allowed any sort of creative control, which had remained in the hands of the Broccoli family since the 1960s, until now.
The James Bond series is a colossal one, spanning 60 years, 25 movies, 11 directors, and six actors playing the titular role. Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and his producing partner Harry Saltzman acquired the rights to adapt Ian Fleming’s popular James Bond novels in 1961. Barbara Broccoli grew up on the sets of many of these early Bond movies as Cubby Broccoli continued to produce the films throughout the 60s to 80s. Michael Wilson, Cubby’s older son, also eventually joined the franchise, working as a producer and co-screenwriter for some of the films. Cubby officially passed on the film rights and his production company to his children in 1995, who would go on to successfully pilot the franchise into the new millennium.
When Amazon purchased MGM two years ago, shortly before the release of the latest Bond film, No Time to Die, Broccoli and Wilson told Variety that they were “committed to continuing to make James Bond films for the worldwide theatrical audience,” attempting to ease fan’s worries that the super spy would be sentenced to solely adventure in a drawn-out Amazon Prime series.
As it became clear that Daniel Craig would not be returning as the character, speculation became abundant as to what would become of the franchise and who would be the next actor to take on the mantle. Idris Elba, Theo James, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Henry Cavill were among the names circulating online. Behind the scenes however, things were evidently not going well. In March 2024, Broccoli told Deadline that absolutely “nothing” was happening with the next Bond film. In December, a report by the Wall Street Journal revealed that much of the radio silence was due to discontent between the Broccoli family and the creatives at Amazon. “She has told friends she doesn’t trust algorithm-centric Amazon with a character she helped to mythologize through big-screen storytelling and gut instinct,” wrote reporters Erich Schwartzel and Jessica Toonkel.
While it is unclear what exactly the recent catalyst was for Broccoli and Wilson’s relinquishment of the creative reins for the franchise, it was reported by Deadline that Amazon paid the sibling’s production company over $1 billion for the deal. Wilson released a statement declaring his intention to step back from filmmaking, to focus on art and charitable pursuits. Ex-Bond actor Timothy Dalton expressed sadness that the family had moved away from the franchise and expressed concern for the authenticity of the character. “It’s been part of our lives, so anything that threatens it is kind of sad,” the star told the Daily Telegraph. Daniel Craig gave Broccoli and Wilson his best wishes in their future projects, yet refrained from commenting on the future of the franchise.
While this billion-dollar deal almost certainly ensures that the Bond franchise will continue, the quality control that the Broccolis implemented for the character over the past 60 years is no more. Broccoli and Wilson reportedly turned down a number of deals during their tenure with the franchise, from spinoff TV shows to a themed casino. Many fans are concerned that Amazon will not have the same level of reverence for the character, potentially leading to an onslaught of products and crossovers, similar to what Disney has done with their Marvel and Star Wars brands. Shortly after news of the deal broke, CEO of Amazon Jeffrey Bezos took to social media to ask fans who the next Bond actor should be. Only time will tell what comes next for the secret agent, whether it be a gripping new action film or a line of fast food restaurants.
