We recently learned that Amazon has managed to strike a $1 billion deal with James Bond franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson to gain full creative control over 007.
The expectation now is that a slew of spin-offs and TV shows will soon accompany the main film series. The news has either excited people eager to see more Bond on their screens or recoiling in horror at the prospect of the iconic Sir Ian Fleming creation becoming just another IP.
Variety (via ActioNewz.com) has shared an interesting piece on the deal, revealing some of the wranglings that led to a deal no one ever expected to be made.
Sources share the points of view of both Amazon and Broccoli, though one says she was "too cautious and exerted outsize control - to the detriment of Bond." For example, "Christopher Nolan expressed interest in directing a Bond movie following the release of 'Tenet.' But Broccoli made clear that no director would have final cut while Bond was under her purview."
With it made clear he wouldn't have final cut, Nolan walked away and made Oppenheimer instead. That won the Oscar for "Best Picture" and grossed nearly $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Now, The Dark Knight helmer has moved on to The Odyssey and is unlikely to ever make his Bond dream a reality.
It's said that, while the deal still needs to be finalised, a new James Bond movie is a priority for Amazon. However, "the studio will look first to attach a producer in the vein of David Heyman, who shepherded the 'Harry Potter' and 'Fantastic Beasts' films with a cohesive vision."
Agencies have already started pitching potential writers, directors, and leading men, though it could be a while before we hear anything definitive as regulators will need to give the deal the green light.
"If you own a Ferrari but don’t control where or if it goes, it’s frustrating," former Amazon Studios chief Roy Price told the site. "The Broccolis have provided the best example in Hollywood history of managing a character. But in today’s complex landscape, it makes sense for Amazon to get in the driver’s seat and control their own destiny."
However, others warn against the temptation to stretch the secret agent too thin.
"There’s something so special and unique about Bond, and you can’t just strip him of the things that make him so debonair and cram five projects into production right now and not totally destroy everything about the property," explains Peter Newman, head of the MBA/MFA graduate dual degree program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. "And if you make Bond more politically correct, you’re going to have a lot of pushback."
As always, stay tuned for updates on 007's future as we have them.