cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/24529102
Amazon has paid more than $1bn for “creative control” of the James Bond franchise, the Guardian understands, in a deal that has met with a mixed response from stars of the films.
Amazon MGM Studios said on Thursday that it had struck a deal with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, the British-American heirs to the film producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and longtime stewards of the Bond films.
The world’s second largest corporation by revenue confirmed it had formed a joint venture with the duo to house the James Bond intellectual property with Amazon assuming “creative control”.
Amazon said the financial terms were for its eyes only, but it is understood that control of 007 was ceded for about $1bn (£790m), a figure first reported by the US Hollywood news oulet Deadline.
Daniel Craig, the most recent actor to play Bond, offered his congratulations to Broccoli and Wilson on Friday. Craig, who first appeared in Casino Royale in 2006, said: “My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished.
“I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well-deserved) retirement, and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular and I hope I can be part of them.”
The actor Valerie Leon, however, a former “Bond girl”, raised concerns that 007 would not be British any more if Amazon was calling the shots.
Leon, 81, featured in the films The Spy Who Loved Me and Never Say Never Again, alongside Roger Moore and Sean Connery. She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that it does not worry her because “life changes and everything moves on and changes”.
“The Bond franchise was very British and it won’t be any more,” she said. “And obviously, if they make films they won’t go into the cinema … everything is so changed now, it just won’t be the same and I’m very old-fashioned anyway.”
Gross. I don’t want them owning any IP.
I’ve accepted that the days of good Bond movies are over. The only ones ensuring high quality were those producers. I’m just glad they finished the Daniel Craig films before this fiasco started
Oh my god, if they paid that much money, they are going to milk it like Disney milked Lucas film. I hope with a little more judgment.
Jeremy Clarkson would make an excellent Bond villain.
Bezos on the other hand is a Bond villain.
I’d say that Bezos is more of a Harry Palmer villain. A little more grounded and based in reality that the Bond franchise. Muskrat is a Bond villain.
Musk is more of a Spy Kids villain. Trump is a Lazy Town villain as Spoticus is diametrically opposed to him even more than Robby Rotton. Putin is the perfect Bond villain, complete with his own evil mountain hideout.
Dr. Evil: “One billion dollars!”
Everyone else: “Haha, nobody’s going to pay that much for… Oh wait…”
Bald man in a suit sips cocktail while sunshine glares off his scalp Name’s Bezos, Jeff Bezos.
how can this possibly be a good investment? genuinely confused, i didn’t think this franchise still had much of a fanbase
how could this possibly be a good investment?
They are currently making zero films, so no profit. (They dis make a reality game show, so not zero zero, but basically nothing.)
genuinely confused, i didn’t think this franchise still had much of a fanbase
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_media_franchises
It’s made about $10 Billion, similar to Jurassic Park and Dragon Ball. It’s also one of the older franchises, so years and generations of people.
