Latest news with #JamesBond26
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A New 007 Lawsuit Setback Has Taken Shape, And I'm Afraid This Could Delay Bond 26 Indefinitely (Again)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Though we're not seeing much movement from the 007 series on the 2025 movie schedule, there are still some pretty major pieces in play that have kept James Bond 26 on everyone's mind. Unfortunately, one of those developments was a 007 lawsuit posing 'mortal danger' to the franchise at large. Through a new update on the matter, it appears that a swift resolution isn't in the cards any time soon - and the result could be an indefinite pause on what seemed to be an ambitious start to the next era of Bond. Per reporting from The Guardian, the legal case brought forth by property Josef Kleindienst has seen a request from Danjaq, LLC to delay proceedings in the name of building a stronger case to maintain key trademarks. More specifically, the James Bond name, the catchphrase that makes great use of said moniker, and the 00-designation are on the line. As Kleindienst claims that UK and EU copyright law allows those signature elements to be examined 'after five years of 'non-use,'' this is a pretty big deal. Danjaq, LLC is the corporate entity is a vital player in all things 007, as it both co-owns the James Bond copyright (with Amazon-MGM Studios), as well as oversees the merchandising (with EON Productions.) Admittedly Amazon-MGM's supposed plans for Bond 26 feel stymied by this legal action. That, in turn, leaves me with a feeling we could see yet another chapter in the history of James Bond delays. Can you even imagine a movie where James Bond can't even use his name to introduce himself? Failing that, there's no number to fall back on; which already caused some confusion in No Time to Die's reassignment of 007 to Nomi (Lashana Lynch). The potential loss of these trademarks could be the greatest legal hiccup in Bond history since the rights battle over SPECTRE. That gave us some interesting substitutes like Quantum, but also yielded the infamous Never Say Never Again. Even in that case, James Bond was able to use his name, albeit with some stipulations. Not calling an obvious stand in for Blofeld by his name is one thing, but not being able to call James Bond by his own name is a greater disaster. That basically leaves you with something akin to The Simpsons' classic Bond parody (or rather Bont parody) shown below: For a legacy franchise that's trying to move forward into a new chapter, this feels like a nightmare. Without this challenge being handled once and for all, it's assumed that Amazon-MGM Studios and its producing team of Amy Pascal and David Heyman can't truly move forward on a new film. Also, this could be a devastating blow to IO Interactive's Project 007 video game, which is currently in development. But on the bright side, if the team behind an aborted unofficial remake of For Your Eyes Only with Ryan Reynolds still wants in, there may be a way forward... provided they use a different name, of course. As the potential record-setting 007 gap between No Time to Die's 2021 release and Bond 26 continues, the fate of Commander Bond once more hangs in the balance of business deals. So if anyone wants to join me over at the saddest martini bar known as the '007 Waiting Room,' feel free. Though depending on how these legal challenges shake out, we may need to change the name out of safety. How about 'The Tuxedo Room?'
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
James Bond Fans Can Finally Rejoice With First Forward Momentum After Weeks Of Up And Down Announcements
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. It's kind of amazing how quickly we've seen rumors and speculation fly surrounding the James Bond movies. Though the 2025 movie schedule still won't see 007 returning to theater screens, reports of Amazon-MGM's James Bond plans ramping up suggested that a big reveal was in the air. Sure enough, we've now gotten confirmation that the new producing team to succeed Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson has been hired. The previously suggested team of Spider-Man veteran Amy Pascal and Harry Potter stalwart David Heyman are now officially the new heads of the Bond Cinematic Legacy. As revealed by an official press release from Amazon-MGM Studios, this hire would seem to be the launching pad to putting James Bond 26 onto that rumored fast track for a 2027 release. Making their first official statement, Pascal and Heyman has this to say about their latest undertaking: James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema. We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson who made so many extraordinary films and honored and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure. For someone who not only follows this series professionally, but also has a huge investment as a fan, I think this hiring represents a pretty substantial pivot in the future of Commander Bond. More to come...
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
There's Another James Bond Rumor About Why Barbara Broccoli Left The Franchise, And This Time Jeff Bezos Is Involved
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. 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.
