Film opinion: Dear Amazon, don’t fall into the franchise trap with James Bond
News broke Thursday that Amazon has taken over creative control of the James Bond franchise from long-serving custodians Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
The announcement comes amid a period of stagnation for Bond with the last entry, No Time to Die, coming out in theatres in 2021.
Film News Blitz’s David Bason hopes Amazon doesn’t fall into a franchise trap with Britain’s most famous secret agent.
A new era for Bond
When Amazon acquired MGM in 2022, it brought the James Bond franchise into its stable, but, crucially, Wilson and Broccoli retained creative control.
That is now no longer with Wilson choosing to step away from filmmaking amid a new-join venture which will see him and Broccoli become co-owners of the franchise with Amazon.
However, Amazon now has full creative control.
“Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios.
“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.”
Wilson, 83, said: "With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, 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."
Broccoli, 64, added: "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 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."
New deal ends a period of stagnation for Bond
The last Bond film, No Time to Die, was shot in 2019 and released two years later.
In the years since, no new actor has been signed to replace Daniel Craig, no scripts have reportedly been written and no directors attached to helm a future project.
But why was this period of stagnation occurring, could it be down to a dispute between Amazon and Bond’s long-term custodians?
A concerning report in December from the Wall Street Journal claimed that Broccoli and Wilson had a falling out with Amazon, with the streamer studio keen to make more Bond content and expand the franchise.
"The relationship between the family that oversees the franchise and the e-commerce giant has all but collapsed,” read the report, with Broccoli allegedly referring to Amazon as “idiots”.
A stalemate had apparently been reached, but this new deal suggests Amazon won the alleged conflict.
Amazon, please take care of Bond
The fact that Amazon has struck this deal mere months after reports alleged it was at loggerheads with Broccoli and Wilson over the handling of Bond is cause for concern.
With creative control, Amazon now has the power to go down the tried and tested route of franchise building, spin-offs and a constant stream of Bond-related content.
However, there are recent examples in modern media that prove this could be a misstep.
Take Disney’s acquisition of LucasFilm, which spawned a divisive trilogy of Star Wars films, two spin-off movies (one good, Rogue One, another bad, Solo) and a now endless stream of television series.
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The saturation of Star Wars content and a tarnished film legacy has made the franchise feel less special.
Disney made a similar mistake with its lauded Marvel Cinematic Universe, once the shining example of connecting a string of cinematic content has unravelled and underwhelmed post-Avengers: Endgame.
Once upon a time, Bond films did come out at a regular rate, a year-per-movie in Sean Connery’s era before being churned out at a steady two to three years per film through the remainder of the 20th century, save for the six-year gap between Licence to Kill (1989) and Goldeneye (1995).
Craig’s era was more stagnated, kicking off with Casino Royale in 2006 and concluding four films later in 2021.
With no film in progress as of yet, there could conceivably be a seven-year gap between No Time to Die and the next instalment.
This is probably a good thing, giving Bond’s death in No Time to Die sufficient time to breathe so as not to jar audiences upon his franchise resurrection.
Moreover, anticipation for the next Bond film will be at a fever pitch, given 007’s ability to keep pace with culture despite not gracing our screens.
However, Amazon must cherish the exclusivity Bond films enjoy, rather than dilute this incredible property with spin-offs and endless content.
The narrative that has led to this point warns Amazon may not heed this warning, but Film News Blitz hopes that the streamer brings Bond back, but paces him carefully through the years to come.
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