Amazon gets control of James Bond movie, Bezos asks who is suitable to play the role

Amazon MGM Studios, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced today that they have formed a new joint venture to jointly hold the intellectual property rights to James Bond (007), and the three parties will continue to jointly own the franchise. Under the terms of the new joint venture, Amazon MGM Studios will gain creative control of the James Bond series upon completion of the transaction.

Mike Hopkins, Head of Amazon Prime Video and MGM Films, said: “Since first gracing the silver screen more than 60 years ago, James Bond has remained one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment. We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to cinemas around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their tireless dedication to this franchise that is beloved by fans around the world. We are honored to continue this great legacy and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the 007 legend for audiences around the world.”

Wilson said: “After a career spanning nearly 60 fascinating years as 007, I will now step down from producing Bond films to focus on my artistic and philanthropic projects . Barbara and I have therefore agreed that it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to take James Bond into the future.”

Broccoli said: "My life has been dedicated to preserving and building on the extraordinary legacy passed down to Michael and me by my father, producer Cabbie Broccoli. I have had the privilege of working closely with four incredibly talented actors who have portrayed 007, as well as thousands of wonderful artists in the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael's retirement from working in film, I feel it is time to focus my energies on other projects ."

In 2022, Amazon acquired MGM, including its vast library of more than 4,000 films and 17,000 episodes of TV series. Since the acquisition of MGM, Amazon has held the distribution rights to all James Bond films, and through this deal, Amazon will have creative control over future productions.