Since the end of Daniel Craig’s tenure as 007, the James Bond franchise has been in a bit of a holding pattern. However, major moves are being made as producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are handing over creative control of Bond to Amazon.
“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,” said Wilson in a statement. “Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
“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,” added 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.”
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While Wilson and Broccoli will remain co-owners of the franchise, Amazon is assuming complete creative control and seemingly already has something in the works for the world’s most iconic spy.
“We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide,” said head of Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video Mike Hopkins. “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.”
It’s unclear how this change will affect the search for the next Bond, but rumors have been floating around since Craig called it quits. Some notable names that have been rumored to have had talks about the role include Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, Harry Styles, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. However, with a new creative team in control, it’s possible that powers that be will go in a totally different direction with 007. There’s even a chance the character ends up on the small screen, as Prime Video produces some of the more well-received streaming TV projects, such as The Boys and Fallout.