James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have defiantly rejected the possibility of the iconic spy franchise getting a television spinoff, per Total Film. In May it was announced that Amazon was negotiating to acquire MGM, the studio that holds the rights to the Bond series, leading to speculation about the character’s future. "We make films. We make films for the cinema. That’s what we do,” Broccoli said. Wilson added, "We’ve resisted that call for 60 years.”
The Amazon-MGM deal, expected to come through by next year, is valued at $8.45 billion. While this would give Amazon the rights to IP such as Rocky, The Pink Panther, and RoboCop, the James Bond franchise is one of the biggest brands owned by MGM.
Screenwriter John Logan, who has co-authored Bond films such as Skyfall and Spectre, wrote in a guest column for The New York Times that the deal gave him “chills.” He asked:
“What happens if a bruising corporation like Amazon begins to demand a voice in the process? What happens to the comradeship and quality control if there’s an Amazonian overlord with analytics parsing every decision? What happens when focus groups report they don’t like Bond drinking martinis? Or killing quite so many people? And that English accent’s a bit alienating, so could we have more Americans in the story for marketability?”
Broccoli and Wilson will retain their “continued artistic control” over the franchise, and assured fans in a statement hours after the deal was announced that they “are committed to continuing to make James Bond films for the worldwide theatrical audience.” Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the Bond franchise, which began with the Sean Connery-starring Dr. No. Based on the spy novels by Ian Fleming, the series has spawned 27 films, all but two of which have been produced by Broccoli and Wilson’s Eon Productions.
The suave British spy has been played by Daniel Craig since 2006, in five films. He will appear as Bond one last time in No Time to Die, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Broccoli and Wilson told Total Film that “it’s tough to think about the future until this film has its moment,” and that they will focus on where they want to take the franchise after Craig’s departure “once the dust settles.” Craig started his tenure as Bond with Casino Royale, followed by Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.
After having been delayed by over a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, No Time to Die comes to theaters on October 8.