After Thursday’s stunning announcement was made, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos canvassed fans’ opinion on social media, asking the question, ‘Who’d you pick as the next Bond?’ Interestingly, a statement released to the media said Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. 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’.
And, in what must have been a very difficult statement for her to make, 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’.
The Spy Who Loved Them
As many Bond aficionados know, Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli launched the now globally famous franchise with co-producer Harry Saltzman, and was joined by Michael G. Wilson as a producing partner for 1985’s A View to a Kill, the late Roger Moore’s final adventure as 007. Barbara Broccoli took over from her father to join Wilson as a co-producer for 1995’s Goldeneye, Pierce Brosnan’s debut movie as Bond, and the pair have overseen every Bond film since through their London-based EON Productions.
Moreover, arguably one of the main reasons for the franchise’s huge success as it entered into the 2000s was because the EON pair kept tight control of the character, a fact recently acknowledged by ex-Bond star Daniel Craig when he presented Broccoli and Wilson with honorary Oscars in November, 2024.
On the actual evening of the 15th Governors Awards, held on Sunday, 17th November, the former Bond actor Daniel Craig took to the podium to honour the Bond producers and present them with the Irving G. Thalberg Award. In his short speech, made prior to presenting the award, Daniel had said he had ‘the honour’ of presenting the award to Barbara and Michael, his ‘dear friends’. Then, marking the specialness of the occasion, Craig had paid generous tribute to the original Bond producers Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for creating a ground-breaking cinema franchise, and to Cubby’s children, Barbara and Michael who, said Craig, had made Cubby’s ‘monumental’ achievement ‘even better’.
Craig had continued: ‘Over the years many people and organisations have tried to put their own footprint on Bond. 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’. It was a highly fitting tribute to the EON pair which, with this latest news about a hand-over, seems even more apt in hindsight.
Live and Let Live
Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson were a superb team, who bonded closely to one another but always had a great division of labour in how they went about producing the movies. Importantly, they managed to sustain the Bond franchise through thick and thin and against all the odds (studio instability, the Covid-19 pandemic, cinema chain buy-outs, volatile markets, and so on). They helped keep the Bond ‘flame’ alive, and became hugely skilled at ensuring that the Bond movies maintained high production values, great storylines, and enjoyed steadfast loyalty from many 007 fans from all parts of the globe. In addition, in the United Kingdom in particular, the franchise gave valuable employment opportunities to numerous highly talented film industry workers.
It is no exaggeration to say that this latest turn of events marks a watershed moment in the cinematic history of James Bond. Back in 2021-22, when Amazon agreed to take over MGM (which shared the rights to the screen Bond with EON), Broccoli and Wilson were adamant that they would retain creative control. However, it is now clear that this new deal means they are relinquishing such control, and commentators are already speculating about what this might mean for the future of James Bond, including a possible radical rethink of the franchise.
One possibility, of course, is that Amazon could commission more streaming spin-offs, something that Barbara Broccoli herself was not keen on. A model here, for example, would be how the Star Wars universe has been expanded on Disney+. On the other hand, if not done well, such a course could have creative risks, ‘watering down’ the character and his ‘universe’ and creating audience fatigue in the process (as appears to be happening with the numerous Marvel ‘super heroes’ movies). A small-screen direction might also entail risks. Last year, Amazon launched the first spin-off TV series, 007: Road to a Million, hosted by Succession star Brian Cox (who played a kind of Bond villain). It featured nine teams in a race to win £1m each through a series of spy-themed challenges. However, it has to be said that series was poorly received by some fans and critics, and Cox himself later revealed that, when first approached to sign on to the project, he had thought it was the next Bond film.
Speaking to the media, 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’.
Make of all this what you will. Dedicated Bond fans, including the JBIFC (which has been around since 1979), will be watching developments very closely, so look out for any further news as it emerges. You know the name, and you know the number and, whatever happens next, 007 remains forever.
A bond that never broke: Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.