The fate of the James Bond movie franchise has finally been resolved, with Amazon/MGM announcing that it had reached a deal to take over creative control from the Broccoli family. The resolution ends a multi-year standoff between Amazon and the Broccoli family over the future direction of the legendary franchise.
The saga began with Amazon’s acquisition of MGM Studios in 2022. The $6.5 billion acquisition gave Amazon access to all of MGM’s franchise IP, including James Bond, its most valuable asset. However, the franchise was also managed by the Broccoli family, who had inherited these rights from their father Albert Broccoli. MGM had always depended on negotiating approvals with the Broccoli family when creating a new Bond movie, and Amazon inherited those terms when it acquired MGM.
Talks between Amazon and the Broccoli family hit an impasse when those at Amazon suggested creating a “James Bond mini-series” and merchandise sold through Amazon Prime. The ideas from Amazon led the family matriarch Barbara Broccoli to describe the creative heads at Amazon as “f— idiots” and antithetical to maintaining the integrity of the James Bond franchise. Amazon could not move forward with any James Bond project without her approval.
With high stakes all the way around, both Amazon and Barbara Broccoli agreed this week, giving Amazon full creative control of the Bond franchise, including the choice of which actor will play the lead, the author of screenplays, and the timeline for production of all future Bond film.
In exchange, the Broccoli family will receive a generous financial settlement. Bond fans and exhibitors are breathing a sigh of relief, as one of the film industry’s most iconic film franchises is now cleared for a return to theatres.
