Amazon will inherit a huge number of properties that are ripe with sequel and reboot potential when the MGM acquisition is finalized, a list that includes Rocky, RoboCop, The Silence of the Lambs, Legally Blonde, Stargate and many more, but nobody’s going to claim that anything other than James Bond is the undisputed jewel in the crown.
Next year marks the 60th anniversary of Sean Connery’s debut in Dr. No, which will come hot on the heels of No Time to Die finally coming to theaters eighteen months behind schedule and drawing the Daniel Craig era to a close. It’s one of the most famous franchises in the history of cinema, so you’d expect Amazon to try and capitalize on that with all sorts of spinoffs, TV projects and everything in between.
However, Eon Productions duo Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have already made it clear that they’re not willing to play the game the way Amazon want them to, ruling out the idea of any episodic offshoots. We’re now hearing from our sources – the same ones who told us HBO Max were inviting pitches for Harry Potter shows long before it was confirmed – that the differences of opinion are causing some disagreements behind the scenes.
According to our information, Broccoli and Wilson aren’t interested in licensing out James Bond beyond the big screen adventures, while Amazon clearly want to utilize the brand for all that it’s worth. The Eon heads admitted 007 is at a critical juncture, and given that they’ve retained a huge amount of influence and veto power over the secret agent’s continued adventures even with the takeover, there’s going to be plenty of boardroom battles to come once the next iteration of MI6’s finest begins to take shape.