James Bond is now controlled by Amazon, Jeff Bezos solicits casting ideas
A major shakeup is coming to the world of James Bond.
Amazon MGM Studios is set to take creative control of the Bond franchise as part of an agreement with longtime producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
In a statement on Thursday, Wilson, 83, said he will step back from producing the Bond movies to "focus on art and charitable projects," while Broccoli, 64, will focus on "other projects" going forward. Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson and Broccoli will remain co-owners of the franchise.
"Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future," Wilson said.
Just after news of the deal was announced, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos asked followers on X, "Who'd you pick as the next Bond?"
Rate your 'Film of the Year': Join our Movie Meter panel and make your voice heard!
Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, on Thursday thanked Wilson and Broccoli "for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide," adding, "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."
Review: 'No Time to Die'ends Daniel Craig's James Bond run with a stirring if flawed effort
The news marked the end of an era for Bond, a franchise that Broccoli and her half-brother Wilson have controlled since 1995. The film series began with 1962's "Dr. No" under the stewardship of Albert R. Broccoli, Barbara's father, and Harry Saltzman.
'I didn't feel I could do it anymore':Daniel Craig on why he almost quit Bond before 'No Time to Die'
Amazon gained the rights to distribute the Bond films after acquiring MGM in 2022, the year after Daniel Craig's final outing as 007 in "No Time to Die," though Wilson and Broccoli retained creative control.
Thursday's deal could open the door for Amazon to expand Bond into new areas, such as spinoff films and streaming shows. The company previously released "007: Road to a Million," a reality competition show based on the world of Bond, in 2023.
Amazon will also be taking creative control at a key moment for Bond as fans await an announcement about who will succeed Craig in the role. No casting decisions have been announced, nor have producers revealed when the next Bond movie will be released.
Contributing: Aditya Soni and Zaheer Kachwala, Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Girl Authority
an hour ago
- Geek Girl Authority
REACHER Season 4 Adds 8 New Faces to the Mix
Reacher Season 4 begins production this week. Eight new cast members — Jay Baruchel, Marc Blucas, Sydelle Noel, Agnez Mo, Anggun, Kevin Weisman, Kevin Corrigan, and Kathleen Robertson — join Alan Ritchson, who plays the titular Jack Reacher. Season 4 will follow the story of Gone Tomorrow , the 13th Reacher novel, published in 2009. Photo Credit: Jasper Savage/Prime Video Prime Video's hit series, Reacher, scored a fourth season renewal in October 2024, four months before Reacher Season 3 premiered. Each season so far has been a fairly accurate adaptation of specific Lee Child novels. The first Jack Reacher novel, The Killing Floor , published in 1997, became Reacher Season 1, while Season 2 jumped ahead to 2007's Bad Luck and Trouble (Jack Reacher #11). Season 3 backtracked to the 2003 novel, Persuader (Jack Reacher #7). RELATED: Read our Reacher Season 3 recaps Earlier this week, Ritchson announced on Instagram that Season 4 will be based on Jack Reacher #13, Gone Tomorrow, first published in 2009. Joining Ritchson for Season 4 are: Jay Baruchel, Sydelle Noel, Agnez Mo, Anggun, Kevin Weisman, Marc Blucas, Kecin Corrigan, and Kathleen Robertson. Who Are They Playing? Amazon teases the Gone Tomorrow plot: 'When a chance encounter with a distraught stranger on a train goes horribly wrong, Jack Reacher is drawn into a complex and deadly game that pits him against ruthless foes from the highest echelons of power.' Based on summaries of the novel, we can sketch out some of the new cast members' roles. Photo Credit:for Netflix Jay Baruchel, seen most recently in FUBAR and heard as Hiccup in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, plays Jacob Merrick, the brother of the 'distraught stranger' in the description. RELATED: Steven Universe Gets Prime Video Sequel, Lars of the Stars GGA folx will remember Marc Blucas as Riley Finn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the interim 23 years since the days of Riley and The Initiative, he's grown into the Reacher role of John Samson, a Washington politician with a squad of thugs on his payroll. Samson's wife, Elsbeth, is another familiar face. Kathleen Robertson appeared as Rosenfeld Guoliang in The Expanse Season 6. (Personally, I'll always remember her as Clare on Beverly Hills, 90210. ) Reacher Rocks Out A newcomer to North American television, but with a successful and established music career, Agnez Mo portrays Lila Hoth, described in the novel as representing herself as the widow of a Russian oligarch. (Strong possibility here that the Hoths will claim a connection to Indonesian political and military forces, considering the casting.) RELATED: TV Review: Reacher Season 3 Another actress with deep music industry ties, Anggun plays Amisha Hoth. In the novel, when Reacher meets Lila, she is a woman named Svetlana, whom she claims is her mother. As Agnez Mo and Anggun are only 12 years apart in age, their relationship may be rewritten. Photo Credit: Jesse Grant/Peacock Playing Detective Docherty, a New York City homicide detective, Kevin Corrigan hits the beat with a partner named Theresa Lee in the novel. I suspect Theresa is now Tamara Green. If I'm correct, that places Sydelle Noel as Reacher's primary law enforcement ally. We can only hope she'll break out some of her G.L.O.W. moves on the baddies. Axe kick, anyone? RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Frances Neagley Kevin Weisman's character, Russell Plum, is the only one without a clear Gone Tomorrow connection. There are several roles he could slide into easily. The Samsons have a head of security named Mr. Springfield in the book. Federal agents dog Reacher's steps throughout the plot. Plum could be wholly invented or borrowed from another book (like Maria Sten's Neagley) to fill in Reacher's social circle. Photo Credit: Jasper Savage/Prime Video Speaking of Neagley Maria Sten announced on Instagram a week ago that Neagley, the Reacher spin-off series, wrapped shooting. That puts it on track for a late 2025 or early 2026 release. Alan Ritchson guest stars as Reacher, returning the favor by helping out the way Neagley did in Seasons 2 and 3 of his show. All three seasons of Reacher are now streaming on Prime Video. THE RINGS OF POWER Brings 3 New Cast Members to Middle-earth for Season 3 Diana lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she invests her time and energy in teaching, writing, parenting, and indulging her love of all Trek and a myriad of other fandoms. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. You can also find her writing at The Televixen, Women at Warp, TV Fanatic, and TV Goodness.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
The 5 Best Father's Day Weekend Tech Deals on Games, Speakers, TVs, and More
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. Hopefully, you're able aside some time this weekend for dear old Dad, but you should also set aside time for deals. Every Friday, I pick out five tech offers that combine massive discounts with top-rated products, and this week is no exception. We've got offers as low as 64% off on Bluetooth speakers, PS5 games, TV sets, and more for you to peruse, and the detailed reviews to back them up. Whether you're shopping for the old man or yourself, these weekend deals will hit the spot. We gave a coveted Editors' Choice award to the Beats Pill in our review, raving over the compact and stylish Bluetooth speaker's assertive and bass-heavy sound. There are tons of portable Bluetooth speakers on the market, but when you discount the Beats Pill to under a hundred bucks it easily becomes a must-purchase. The cylindrical design is rugged and durable, with IP67 dust and waterproofing and the ability to withstand being submerged in water for up to 30 minutes. It also boasts a capacious and fast-charging battery that can get you two hours of listening from just 10 minutes of plugged-in time. Echo Pop Smart Speaker With Alexa (2023 Release) for $24.99 (List Price $39.99) Beats Pill Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker (Matte Black) for $99.00 (List Price $149.95) Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Portable Bluetooth Speaker for $149.00 (List Price $249.00) Sonos Move 2 Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker (Black) for $336.00 (List Price $449.00) Soundcore Boom 2 Portable Waterproof Outdoor Speaker (Black) for $129.99 (List Price $139.99) Settling in for summer gaming season? Take the opportunity to slash 48% off of an incredible UHD monitor that will make everything you play look its best. The Gigabyte M28U hits all the marks you need, from ultra-crisp 3840 x 2160 resolution with incredible contrast and color quality, great grey uniformity and wide viewing angles for local co-op play. Support for HDMI 2.1 bandwidth lets you use it for modern consoles at peak settings, and it's lightweight and easy to set up. The built-in speakers are decent but unspectacular, but that's a minor complaint. See how it compares on our list of the best gaming monitors. Alienware AW2524HF 25" 1080p 500Hz IPS Monitor for $449.99 (List Price $599.99) Alienware AW3225QF 32" 4K 240Hz QD-OLED Monitor for $899.99 (List Price $1,199.99) Acer Nitro XV272U 27" 1440p 240Hz IPS Gaming Monitor for $229.99 (List Price $299.99) Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS 27" 1440p 180Hz 1ms IPS Monitor for $249.00 (List Price $289.00) Samsung Odyssey G9 49" DQHD 240Hz Curved Gaming Monitor for $849.99 (List Price $1,299.99) Amazon's Alexa smart speaker continues to be the gold standard for smart home connectivity, winning an Editors' Choice in our review with improved audio quality accompanying its transition from a cylindrical form factor to a cheerful little sphere. If you've missed the marketing, the Echo is a multi-tasking master, letting you control streaming services, interface with a massive variety of smart home products, set timers, tell jokes, order from Amazon and more. It's like an extra member of the household that you don't have to set a place for at dinner, and a 45% discount is pretty sweet. It's getting close to when we'd expect news of a new Yakuza game, which means that the previous installments will see price drops. We raved about Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth in our review, loving the long-running franchise's unexpected relocation to Hawaii and bevy of new activities, including managing a resort, battling Sujimon and more. If you haven't played any of these games, they fuse gritty Japanese mafia drama with absurd characters, side stories, turn-based combat, crafting and more. There's really nothing quite like them, but there's a reason they have a deeply devoted fanbase. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 (Pre-Order) for $49.99 Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Tactical Edition (Pre-Order) for $69.99 Monster Hunter Wilds Standard Edition for $62.99 (List Price $69.99) Black Myth: Wukong for $59.99 (List Price $64.99) Silent Hill 2 for $57.93 (List Price $69.99) Finally, here's a juicy 38% price cut on an Editors' Choice-winning TV set from Hisense. In our review, lead analyst Will Greenwald called this one "the best budget-friendly TV you can buy," thanks to its spectacular color performance that shines in high-contrast scenes thanks to the deep blacks and bright LED backlighting with up to 1000 nits peak brightness. The native 144Hz panel is great for console games, sports and other fast-moving content, and built-in Dolby Atmos sound and internal subwoofer pump out high-quality audio. This is the best price we've seen this 55 inch set at, so grab it while you can. 75" TCL QM6K 4K QD-Mini LED Google TV (2025 Model) for $849.99 (List Price $999.99) 85" Samsung Q60D Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2024 Model) for $1,199.99 (List Price $1,697.99) 65" LG C4 Series 4K 120Hz OLED Evo Smart TV (2024 Model) for $1,496.99 (List Price $2,699.99) 65" Samsung S90D 4K OLED 144Hz Smart TV (2024 Model) for $1,497.99 (List Price $1,697.99) 75" Sony Bravia XR X90L 4K Full Array LED Smart TV (2023 Model) for $1,198.00 (List Price $1,799.99) Hankering to save even more? Head over to our deals page, pardner, and draw down.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
From ‘Jaws' to ‘The Meg,' we rank the 10 best shark movies of all time
From 'Jaws' to 'The Meg,' we rank the 10 best shark movies of all time For five decades, it hasn't been safe to go back into the water. Thanks, "Jaws." The big screen has played host to a never-ending spate of troublesome man-eating sharks ever since Steven Spielberg's killer-fish spectacle. And now's the time to celebrate all things Amity Island with the 50th anniversary of "Jaws" (originally released June 20, 1975). It was the first summer blockbuster and remains one of Spielberg's greatest hits in his storied career. Not to mention having the most iconic – and ominous – two-note musical theme ever. Since "Jaws," audiences have developed a deep hunger for these underwater antagonists – hello, Shark Week! – so we're ranking the top 10 shark movies ever. (It's probably worth noting that, like with basketball comedies, the quality drops off quickly after the first few.) And sorry, "Sharknado." We're excluding made-for-TV flicks from our list, but you, "Ghost Shark" and "Sharktopus" are still cool. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox 10. 'Deep Blue Sea 3' (2020) The proudly B-movie "Deep Blue Sea" franchise has a penchant for seriously bonkers shark attacks. This third installment is no different: Tania Raymonde plays the head of a group of video-blogging environmentalists on an artificial island in the Mozambique Channel, and her marine biologist ex (Nathaniel Buzolic) shows up with a goon squad hunting a trio of genetically engineered, crazy-smart bull sharks. (Fun fact: You'll root for the fish.) Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 9. 'Meg 2: The Trench' (2023) The first half of this sequel is a dull underwater sci-fi action flick all about folks turning on each other for natural resources and Jason Statham's diver dude saving his trouble-magnetic daughter. Then director Ben Wheatley lets loose with the creature feature we came for, where our hero has to deal with a trio of hungry megalodons, a kaiju-sized octopus and other freaky monsters attacking "Fun Island," a beachy locale that maniacally lives up to its name. Where to watch: Max, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 8. 'Jaws 2' (1978) Imagine the pressure of following "Jaws" without Steven Spielberg and two of your top actors. But unlike the two sequels that came later, this follow-up wasn't absolute chum. The shark is still crazy destructive – even taking on a helicopter – but what's neat here is the return of Roy Scheider as the police chief who's voted out when the powers-that-be don't believe another beast is in the water, but who saves the day anyway. Where to watch: Tubi, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 7. 'The Meg' (2018) It does give you the hand-to-fin combat you want from Jason Statham battling a 75-foot-long prehistoric shark, but getting there is a bit arduous: A bunch of researchers plumb new depths off the coast of Shanghai and accidentally unleash the Meg. It's all pretty corny and earnest until the ginormous shark starts wreaking havoc on ships and people in inner tubes. Where to watch: Max, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 6. 'The Reef' (2010) A bunch of Australian friends (including a pair of lovers) sailing a yacht to Indonesia crash their boat on a coral reef and are stranded in the middle of the ocean. Their only hope is to get to a nearby island, a situation made harder – and much more tense – by a clever great white, noteworthy for being a real shark rather than a CGI one like most films use. Extra points for a headless giant turtle corpse. Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 5. 'Open Water' (2003) This Sundance Film Festival breakout used actual sea life to add all-too-realism to its worst-case vacation scenario. A married couple go on a scuba expedition to help their relationship and wind up getting stranded, with jellyfish stinging and sharks circling. It's an unnerving narrative that aims for authentic emotions and some very hard decisions when it comes to survival. Where to watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 4. 'Under Paris' (2024) Not only did it nab a Stephen King Tweet of Approval, there's a lot to enjoy in this high-end B-movie. A scientist (Bérénice Bejo) partners with a cop (Nassim Lyes) for help when a man-eating menace begins a killing spree, sets up shop in the catacombs and threatens a major triathlon that's come to town. In addition to some "Jaws" nods (including a clueless mayor), the final act is full of fishy mayhem, all leading to one heck of a last-scene cliffhanger. Where to watch: Netflix. 3. 'The Shallows' (2016) The prettiest shark movie you'll ever see, it's essentially "Let's go surfing with Blake Lively in paradise" until her character becomes the target of a hungry shark. A scene-stealing seagull is her only confidante as she tends to a really nasty leg bite – luckily, she's pre-med! – and uses her smarts (and a flare gun) to foil the shark's meal plans. Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 2. 'Deep Blue Sea' (1999) Sure, the ridiculous factor is high when you consider that the sci-fi thriller centers on super-duper-smart sharks born from the studies of scientists working on an Alzheimer's cure. But it totally owns that silliness in an enjoyable way, like a shark using a dude strapped to a gurney as a battering ram. Bonus: The film offers up an all-time great movie death, a joyously gnarly munch you don't see coming until it's too late. Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 1. 'Jaws' (1975) The seafaring masterpiece sinks every other shark movie in its utter perfection. Hollywood's first summer blockbuster is aces across the board, from sheer terror to the unforgettable John Williams score (which keeps the dread going even without the toothy predator). But what really elevates the film from creature feature to complex shark-ridden drama is the trio of main characters, including top cop Brody (Roy Scheider), nerdy oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and Ahab-esque hunter Quint (Robert Shaw). Where to watch: Tubi, Peacock, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
