Re: [NEWS] Amazon given full control of James Bond

On 2/21/2025 1:22 PM, Your Name wrote:
> On 2025-02-21 20:03:04 +0000, moviePig said:
>> On 2/20/2025 7:41 PM, Your Name wrote:
>>>
>>> After many months and reportedly calling Amazon "idiots", Barbaba 
>>> Broccoli now simply hands the entire franchise over to them. I guess 
>>> the number of zeroes on the cheque changed her mind. Now fans can no 
>>> doubt expect loads of Political Correctness silliness and a massive 
>>> cash-in exercise of spin-offs ruining yet another franchise. :-\
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>    James Bond's long-serving producers give control to Amazon
>>>    ----------------------------------------------------------
>>>    The James Bond film franchise will no longer be controlled
>>>    by the Broccoli dynasty, after long-serving masterminds
>>>    Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson announced they are
>>>    stepping down.
>>>
>>>    The Bond films were launched by Albert "Cubby" Broccoli in
>>>    1962, before his daughter and stepson took over.
>>>
>>>    The pair will now give creative control to Amazon MGM
>>>    Studios, which was formed when Amazon bought Bond's parent
>>>    studio in 2022.
>>>
>>>    The new deal comes after mounting speculation about the fate
>>>    of the British spy, four years after his last outing in
>>>    No Time to Die, which was also Daniel Craig's final
>>>    appearance in the role.
>>>
>>>    Amazon will now decide which actor will take over the famous
>>>    character, but there is still no timescale for when that
>>>    that will happen or when the next film will be made.
>>>
>>>    James Norton, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James are among
>>>    the bookmakers' favourites to fill Craig's shoes.
>>>
>>>    After Thursday's announcement, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos
>>>    canvassed fans' opinion on social media, asking: "Who'd you
>>>    pick as the next Bond?"
>>>
>>>    A statement said Broccoli and Wilson will "remain co-owners
>>>    of the franchise" as part of a new joint venture but Amazon
>>>    MGM Studios "will gain creative control".
>>>
>>>    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."
>>>
>>>    Cubby Broccoli launched the iconic franchise with co-producer
>>>    Harry Saltzman, and was joined by Wilson as a producing partner
>>>    for 1985's A View to a Kill.
>>>
>>>    Barbara took over from her father to join Wilson as a producer
>>>    for 1995's GoldenEye, and the pair have overseen every Bond
>>>    film since through their Eon production house.
>>>
>>>    They kept tight control of the character - something that was
>>>    acknowledged by Craig when he presented them with honorary
>>>    Oscars in November. "Over the years many people and
>>>    organisations have tried to put their own footprint on Bond,"
>>>    he said.
>>>
>>>    "Barbara, Michael, I can't tell you how much I admire your
>>>    integrity in holding on to your singular vision as you brought
>>>    Bond into the 21st Century with a passionate and a protective
>>>    determination to honour the heart of this franchise."
>>>
>>>
>>>    'Next phase' for 007
>>>    In 2021, when Amazon agreed to take over MGM, which shared the
>>>    rights to Bond with Eon, Broccoli and Wilson said they would
>>>    keep creative control.
>>>
>>>    However, they have now relinquished the reins, and the deal
>>>    raises the prospect of a rethink and an expansion of the
>>>    franchise.
>>>
>>>    The US giant could commission more streaming spin-offs, for
>>>    example, such as how the Star Wars universe has been expanded
>>>    on Disney+.
>>>
>>>    Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios,
>>>    said: "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."
>>>
>>>    Last year, Amazon launched the first spin-off TV series,
>>>    007: Road to a Million, hosted by Succession star Brian Cox.
>>>
>>>    It featured nine teams in a race to win £1m each through a
>>>    series of spy-themed challenges. However, that series was
>>>    poorly received by some fans and critics and Cox later joked
>>>    that he signed on to the project thinking it was the next James
>>>    Bond film.
>>>
>>>    News of Thursday's deal helps to explain why there has been a
>>>    long delay without any announcement about a 26th official Bond
>>>    film, or its star.
>>>
>>>    Given how much time it takes to make a blockbuster movie, the
>>>    gap between No Time To Die and the next film could break the
>>>    six-year record for the longest period between Bond releases.
>>>
>>>    Last August, the Telegraph's chief film critic Robbie Collin
>>>    wrote that there was "no script, no title, not even a director"
>>>    for a new instalment.
>>>
>>>    In October, Amazon MGM Studios boss Jennifer Salke told the
>>>    Guardian there were "a lot of different ways we can go" with the
>>>    franshise, and that "we don't want too much time between films,
>>>    but we are not concerned at this point".
>>>
>>>    She also said the company had "a good and close relationship"
>>>    with Broccoli and Wilson.
>>>
>>>    However in December, the Wall Street Journal reported that
>>>    "the relationship between the family that oversees the franchise
>>>    and the e-commerce giant has all but collapsed".
>>>
>>>    The newspaper also claimed that Broccoli had privately described
>>>    Amazon as "idiots".
>>>
>>>
>>>    <https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1mn9gz5x3mo>
>>
>> Bond cinema gave us a much longer run than we were entitled to.  I 
>> hope Broccoli got a whole bunch of lettuce...
> 
> Personally I've never particular liked James Bond movies, but this 
> reportedly US$1billion cop out gives me another reason to detest 
> broccoli (I already hate the vegetable type).
> 
Barbara Broccoli fought Amazon/Bezos for years trying to keep her 
family's legacy at least minimally tarnished but was eventually worn 
down and got too old to keep fighting.

-- 
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky 
dirty old man.