Amazon takes over Bond franchise

[Morrus]

Can anyone confirm if Amazon now owns the complete and and total rights to everything 007?

No, EON still owns the IP. They have agreed to let Amazon have creative control. Other than that we don’t know the terms of the agreement.

Could this also mean a return of James Bond Jr?

I wouldn’t be surprised.

 

[MarkB]

Brian Blessed.

"The name's Bond. JAMES BOND!"

 

[J.Quondam]

It’s nothing to do with wealth. They are idiots if they carry on doing something they don’t enjoy when there is no need for them to do so.

Forget the wealth thing. People do things for different reasons. Declaring someone an "idiot" for doing something you don't personally understand the why or whatfor it is presumptuous, in particular if they're not hurting anyone else.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Forget the wealth thing. People do things for different reasons. Declaring someone an "idiot" for doing something you don't personally understand the why or whatfor it is presumptuous, in particular if they're not hurting anyone else.

Assuming someone is just going to keep on doing something until they drop dead just because you feel entitled is more presumptuous.

 

[MGibster]

James Bond is truly an amazing franchise. It started with books published in the 1950s and since the 1960s we've gotten twenty-five movies. Just think of how much changed between the release of Dr. No in 1962 and No Time to Die in 2021. I've always enjoyed Bond films for what they were, but in more recent years the movies have been hit-or-miss with me. I really enjoyed Brosnan's foray into the franchise in 1995's Goldeneye, but I didn't really care for his other movies that much. Brosnan wasn't the problem at all. I liked Craig's performance, but didn't care for Spectre at all and No Time to Die was old a mild improvement. At least NTD did something interesting with Bond they hadn't done before.

Maybe Amazon/MGM will do something interesting with Bond. I do think there's a point where a franchise has just run its course. But what do I know? They're still making Mission Impossible movies.

 

[payn]

James Bond is truly an amazing franchise. It started with books published in the 1950s and since the 1960s we've gotten twenty-five movies. Just think of how much changed between the release of Dr. No in 1962 and No Time to Die in 2021. I've always enjoyed Bond films for what they were, but in more recent years the movies have been hit-or-miss with me. I really enjoyed Brosnan's foray into the franchise in 1995's Goldeneye, but I didn't really care for his other movies that much. Brosnan wasn't the problem at all. I liked Craig's performance, but didn't care for Spectre at all and No Time to Die was old a mild improvement. At least NTD did something interesting with Bond they hadn't done before.

Maybe Amazon/MGM will do something interesting with Bond. I do think there's a point where a franchise has just run its course. But what do I know? They're still making Mission Impossible movies.

I was just marveling at the franchise recently. I kinda get it, its very iconic. The theme song, the swanky car, gadgets, international dude of mystery banging lots of women, etc..

Mish impossible though? Its just Tom Cruise for 30+ years. Do they even do the theme song anymore? Who knows? Well, I guess a lot of people know because they keep going to see them.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It started with books published in the 1950s and since the 1960s we've gotten twenty-five movies

Also radio serials, going as far back as the 50s.

 

[Parmandur]

"I think its one of those situations where its a family legacy and keeping it is worth it. Though, everything has its price, and Amazon being able to pay that price is kinda scary.

Well, I am sure Amazon paid well...but theybalso had the leverage of complete distribution control, their only options were to play ball with Amazon or sell to Amazon.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Their Mr. & Mrs. Smith revival is really interesting.

Their Citadel franchise is not.

Hard to know what this means, although people following Jeff Bezos on social and conversing with him about what they want from James Bond feels weird and gross.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Talk about "be careful what you wish for". I was engaging in that conversation as an intellectual exercise. I do think that it could be done well (Bond without Bond) but I also think that there's a really good chance that they will screw it up (the phrase: "Exploit the IP" always worries me - the problem is in the word "exploit".)

This sounds more likely to be like Sony's use of Spider-Man Villains than it does like the ideas we were discussing in the other thread. I should have known better.

A Moneypenny focused project sounds pretty good.

But after that, it feels like the franchise gets pretty thin pretty quickly. Are people really crying out for Felix Leitner movies? And what would they offer that we can't get in other spy movies?

Honestly, the biggest challenge to James Bond nowadays, IMO, is that it has so much good competition.