No Time for Optimism: Why Amazon’s James Bond takeover is bad news
I usually consider myself an optimistic person but I really can’t see any positives in Amazon taking full creative control of the James Bond franchise.
Producers Barbara Broccoli and her stepbrother Michael G. Wilson have spent years overseeing the franchise their father/stepfather Cubby Broccoli began more than six decades ago. They protected this legacy and made sure the famed spy films were cinematic events. On Thursday, they delivered the shocking news that they have handed creative control over Amazon, who acquired Bond’s home studio MGM in 2022.
The James Bond franchise as we know it is now over. Broccoli and Wilson were very protective of the IP and shut down most non-film ideas (except the 2023 competition series 007: Road to a Million with Brian Cox). Now they’re standing aside, Amazon MGM can finally do whatever they want.
No doubt about it, Amazon will dilute the brand and milk it for all its worth. Expect the James Bond Cinematic Universe with TV series, spin-offs and reboots. There will probably be a standalone project about Moneypenny or Q or perhaps even one focusing on another 00 spy.
I know the franchise has been rather hit-and-miss over the years but it’s still highly regarded and each release is still a huge event people turn out for. The reason for this is partly because they aren’t released that often. You have to wait several years and by that point, you’re ready for more. With Amazon, we will probably be overwhelmed by Bond “content” and this oversaturation will stop us from being excited about the cinematic films (if they’re still doing theatrical releases, that is).
It’s not the first time this has happened. For example, when Disney acquired Lucasfilm, it was all systems go on Star Wars projects. We got a new trilogy, prequels, spin-offs and many TV series. Disney also did this with Marvel – when they launched Disney+ they wanted to make more Marvel and Star Wars content to encourage people to get their streaming service. But on both fronts, they eventually realised they were diluting the product, prioritising quantity over quality and giving us more than we actually wanted. They’ve both been dialled back and streamlined in recent years. Hopefully, this will happen with 007 eventually too.
I have no faith in a U.S. corporate machine taking over such a beloved British franchise and I fully believe this is the end of an era for James Bond. However, as always, I am willing to be proven wrong.