I didn’t see this one coming. Amazon/MGM has taken creative control out of the hands of longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
The announcement was made on Thursday morning, alongside the news that Wilson and Broccoli would be stepping back from the franchise. The three parties will still remain co-owners of the franchise.
This bombshell news comes just 24 hours after The Guardian reported on an Australian property developer threatening to sue Broccoli over concerns about the future of the 007 franchise. He was going to bring her to court. Suffice to say, Broccoli’s hands were all tied up, and she probably had no other choice but to succumb to Amazon/MGM.
A recent Wall Street Journal report had revealed some behind the scenes troubles; Broccoli and Amazon were said to be fighting over the creative direction of the franchise, with Amazon reportedly starting to push for “Marvel-style” ideas to expand the Bond lore, including several spinoff shows and potentially other movies. Broccoli seemingly has zero interest in making them.
Broccoli, 64, who had fully taken the reins of the franchise, told friends that the people at Amazon were, “f***ing idiots.” She didn’t believe Amazon was a great fit for Bond, and decided to take the franchise “hostage,” refusing to develop any new films under their banner.
Amazon's Jennifer Salke was tasked with dealing with Broccoli, and her description of the franchise as “content” reportedly infuriated Broccoli. Things had soured so much that the release of a new Bond film was in jeopardy.
Now that the matter has settled, and Broccoli/Wilson have no doubt been blessed with a large-sized payout, the franchise is no longer “hostage,” and Amazon/MGM can do whatever they please with Bond. A real shame. One of the last remaining unexploited franchises will now be milked to death by Amazon/MGM. Get ready for the JBCU.
It's been three years since the last instalment, (“No Time To Die”) and with this news of creative control having been fully given to Amazon/MGM, I expect the next film to be fast tracked, full steam ahead. However, the question remains, what is does Amazon/MGM for Bond? Are we about to see a radical change to 007?
It’s now been 13 years since "The Grandmaster,” and it doesn’t sound like Wong Kar-wai will be making another film in the near future. His future seems to be on the small screen.