There's Another James Bond Rumor About Why Barbara Broccoli Left The Franchise, And This Time Jeff Bezos Is Involved
I'm surprised how much 007 news the 2025 movie schedule has yielded. One moment we were all sitting there wondering what's next for James Bond 26, and then a new development crossed the cultural gun barrel. With Amazon-MGM's 007 deal giving the studio full creative control, the world has been left to wonder just why Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson would give up their control over the franchise?
THR has spoken to a 'source familiar' with this earthshaking development, and it appears that Jeff Bezos may have been the overall catalyst. In a rundown that theorizes what actually happened, this unnamed party alleges that the founder of Amazon pulled the trigger due to this concern:
He read her quote in the Journal and got on the phone and said, 'I don't care what it costs, get rid of her.
That 'quote in the Journal' is from that report on Barbara Broccoli's alleged frustrations with Amazon. It's an unsurprising development, as that supposed bombshell wasn't exactly flattering to the commerce giant's image. When coupled with other rumors of various spinoffs plans, and even alleged tone concerns over Bond 26, longtime fans of how the 007 machine has been run so far have been iffy over what to make of these latest developments.
For a moment, EON Productions' control over the franchise co-founded by Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli seemed like it would remain resolute. Shortly before the announcement, Martin Campbell, the director of Casino Royale, shared his thoughts on how 'Barbara will absolutely stick to her guns.' Which makes this next quote from an alleged insider to Deadline kind of heartbreaking:
She's a fighter, but she got tired of fighting.
With all of these anonymous whispers filling the air, it appears one of my greatest fears may have came true. As Amazon-MGM and EON Productions were in a stalemate, someone had to make the move to end it. With co-producer/half-brother Michael G. Wilson ready to retire, the choices were forge ahead alone or make a deal. And whoo-boy, that deal lived up to Jeff Bezos' supposed demands.
How do you think Amazon-MGM Studios paid for creative control over Bond, James Bond? The answer, per that previously cited Deadline article, is $1 billion, and we don't even know how that's being paid out. This is on top of Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson remaining co-owners of the 007 cinematic franchise, which ensures financial security after walking away from creative control.
That price tag on its own might not seem too steep, especially in light of Disney's acquisitions of Lucasfilm, Marvel and 20th Century Fox. However, this quick and dirty primer on the formation of Amazon-MGM Studios, again from Deadline, paints a very different picture:
Though valued between $3.5 billion-$4 billion, the legendary motion picture studio was absorbed by the streamer for $8.5 billion, the hefty sum propped up by the potential access of the 007 franchise.
Going into the Amazon-MGM acquisition era, I didn't think that EON's control over James Bond would be challenged in such a way that it would eventually relinquish that power. But times have changed, and I guess sometimes you need to pick your battles carefully. For now, I'll maintain an open mind, as we don't know if these insider rumors are actually true.
Should they be proven to be accurate, Amazon's update on the Bond franchise might feel a bit more ominous in the long run. With Bond 26's fate becoming even more evasive, we're caught between a potentially rushed spinoff to whet the crowd's appetite, or a prolonged wait to 'get it right.'
We'll have to just wait see how the new players on the board move in this regard, martinis at the ready and tuxedos firmly pressed. Because at the moment, the question of concern isn't if James Bond will return, but rather how that resurrection will happen.
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