It’s the news that had been doing the rumour circuits for a few weeks but has now been officially confirmed. Amazon MGM Studios, which have taken ‘creative control’ of James Bond on screen after a deal with EON, have announced that the next James Bond film, no. 26 in the official series, will be produced by the veteran duo Amy Pascal and David Heyman.
The news comes after reputable sources in Hollywood, such as Variety magazine, ran with the rumour after it was first floated a few weeks ago in the British press. On 21st March, 2025, Variety carried a short but credible report entitled ‘Amy Pascal, David Heyman Eyed to Run James Bond Franchise for Amazon MGM Studios’, penned by Brent Lang.
Lang said the pair had been described as being ‘in talks’. No deal could be signed, however, until the streamer finalized its pact to buy creative control from EON’s Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the producers whose family has overseen all things 007 for over six decades. It now seems, though, that Amazon are fully confident the deal is on and can now confirm the new 007 producing team.
In a statement released on Tuesday, 25th March, Amazon MGM Studios’ head of film, Courtenay Valenti, described Amy Pascal and David Heyman as ‘two of the most accomplished, experienced, and respected film producers in our industry’. In a joint statement themselves, Pascal and Heyman called 007 ‘one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema’. They continued: ‘We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson who made so many extraordinary films and honoured and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure’.
Amazon’s Valenti added: ‘We are honoured to be working with them on James Bond’s next chapter and are excited to deliver to global audiences storytelling that upholds the impeccable legacy of this beloved character’.
Licence Renewed
Amy Pascal, the former head of Sony, is fairly familiar to dedicated Bond aficionados, as she was involved with Bond in the past, but appeared to fall on her sword after some script details were leaked by hackers. Since stepping down from her role at Sony in 2015, she has reinvented herself in recent times as one of the movie industry’s most successful producers. In addition to producing the hugely successful Spider-Man franchise, she is also involved in such critical hits as Challengers and Little Women. Interestingly, at Sony, Pascal oversaw the studio’s deal to distribute several Bond films, including Skyfall, the highest-grossing movie in the history of the spy series. There can be no doubt that this Bond distribution knowledge was a big factor in Amazon’s choice.
David Heyman is a highly respected British producer, who founded Heyday Films, and whose most recent success was Barbie in 2023, which generated huge amounts at the global box-office. He is probably best-known to the cinema-going public as the producer of all eight installments of the Harry Potter film series, after which he produced the three installments of its spin-off prequel series, Fantastic Beasts.
Insiders, reacting to the confirmation announcement, suggested the pair are regarded in the film industry as a ‘safe pair of hands’ who will remain loyal to the traditions and key elements that have characterised the James Bond franchise over the years. As far as the JBIFC is concerned, after all the uncertainty that has shaped the first few months of 2025, this latest announcement is good and reassuring news.
You know the name and you know the number. Watch this space for further developments as they happen.
