James Bond’s Road to Amazon: Barbara Broccoli’s Tight Control, Snubbing Christopher Nolan and More

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In January 2024, Barbara Broccoli attended a performance of her play “Buena Vista Social Club” at the Atlantic Theater in New York. This longtime James Bond producer was joined by three top executives from Amazon MGM Studios – Jennifer Salke, Courtenay Valenti and Julie Rapaport – for an evening that also included dinner and discussions about future projects. For months, Mike Hopkins, Salke’s superior, had been discussing the future of Bond with Broccoli, following Amazon’s acquisition of MGM in 2022 for $8.5 billion. The purpose of this meeting was for Salke to present the studio’s preliminary ideas for the first Bond film post-acquisition and make Broccoli feel at ease. However, it is reported that Broccoli felt unimpressed by Salke, a television executive, during the meeting, returned home to London, and later discussions started about the siblings giving up creative control of the franchise, which is considered as the last big brand without exploitation, similar to Lucasfilm, Marvel, and DC. (Amazon declined to comment, while Eon did not respond to a request for comment.)

After a challenging year of talks, Amazon is set to take control of the James Bond franchise, which has produced 25 films about Agent 007. Despite its rich history on screen, the franchise’s possibilities for TV adaptations, licensing, spin-offs, and interconnected cinematic universes have yet to be fully explored. (The deal is pending regulatory approval in both the U.S. and U.K., which is expected this year.) Amazon’s executive chairman, Jeff Bezos, who approved the intricate deal that allows Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother, Michael Wilson, to maintain a financial interest in the property, is eager to see how Amazon can modernize Bond for the digital era.

As someone who’s passionate about cars, I can relate to Roy Price’s sentiment. Owning a Ferrari without having the power to decide its journey feels restrictive. Similarly, the Broccolis have set an unparalleled standard in Hollywood for managing characters effectively. However, given the intricate nature of today’s media landscape, it seems logical for Amazon to step up and take the wheel, guiding their own path towards success.

For several years, Broccoli and Wilson held back from fully capitalizing on the property inspired by Ian Fleming’s spy novels across various mediums. Occasionally, they even disagreed with each other, as reported by sources within their circle. However, their decision to restrict the presence of the agent with the license to kill might have been wise, given the rise of all-pervasive brands such as Disney’s Marvel and Lucasfilm. These omnipresent brands led to audience exhaustion, causing a reduction in production output. (This year, Kathleen Kennedy, longtime head of Lucasfilm, is stepping down, marking a new era for that franchise, much like Bond.)

However, critics argue that Broccoli was overly cautious and held too much power, which may have negatively impacted Bond. It’s been reported that Christopher Nolan showed interest in directing a Bond film after the release of “Tenet.” Yet, Broccoli made it clear that no director would be given final cut authority while Bond was under her control. As a result, Nolan, who is known for his final-cut approach, directed “Oppenheimer” instead, which grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide and won the Best Picture Oscar. (Previously, Steven Spielberg had hoped to direct a Bond film following “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” but was prevented by Broccoli’s late father, Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, due to his lack of experience at that time.)

Nevertheless, it’s clear why the Broccolis maintained firm control. Bond remains a challenging character to rework, having been conceived in the midst of the Cold War, well before the call for gender equality was widespread. Modifying the martini-swilling ladies’ man excessively also presents certain challenges.

Peter Newman, who leads the joint MBA/MFA program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, remarks that there’s an extraordinary quality and distinctiveness about Bond that should not be altered hastily by launching multiple productions simultaneously. He warns that such a move could potentially ruin the essence of the character. Moreover, if they attempt to make Bond more politically correct, there will likely be strong resistance.

Experts have a stronger belief that Amazon will produce an impressive Bond film rather than a successful television series. While their TV division has achieved success with fantasy dramas like “The Boys” and “Fallout,” they haven’t managed to create much buzz or Emmy recognition for their shows. A prime example of this is the expensive “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” series, which did not meet expectations as one of Hollywood’s most valued intellectual properties. Even Amazon, one of the world’s most financially robust corporations, might find it challenging to fund another costly TV production like “Citadel,” known for being one of the priciest series ever made, with its six Season 1 episodes costing $300 million.

One expert suggests that you should accurately evaluate your team’s abilities, identifying both their strengths and their areas for improvement, as they seem to align with the weaknesses highlighted in a typical Bond movie series,” or more informally, “An industry insider advises that you need to understand what your team can do best, as well as where they might struggle, because these are often the same issues faced by characters in a Bond film.

It appears that individuals privy to Amazon’s plans for Bond have indicated that a movie is still their main focus. They will initially aim to recruit a producer similar to David Heyman, who successfully managed the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” series by maintaining a consistent creative vision throughout.

Concerning Broccoli, she remains artistically linked to Amazon and maintains a robust professional bond with Valenti and Rapaport. Currently, the studio is actively working on a reimagined version of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” which Broccoli is overseeing as the producer.

Even though Amazon can’t proceed with hiring anyone for the Bond project until the Broccoli-Wilson deal is finalized, it hasn’t deterred every local agency from presenting their top writers, directors, and leading actors. I believe that Amazon should consider internally for casting one of 007’s adversaries instead.

As a cinephile, I’d love to see Jeff Bezos make a surprising appearance in this film, stepping into the shoes of the antagonist’s tech-savvy henchman. His character could be seen tirelessly attempting to connect the villain’s printer to the Wi-Fi – a comical yet intriguing twist that adds depth to the narrative.

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2025-02-26 21:18