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The actors who have portrayed James Bond over time, from left: Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, and Sean Connery. (Image via Amazon)
Will James Bond finally return to action? The prospect for a new film in the long-running spy thriller series increased dramatically on Thursday with the announcement that Amazon MGM Studios had reached a new 007 deal.
Amazon MGM and longtime Bond producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced that they’d formed a new joint venture as co-owners of the Bond intellectual property rights and franchise, with Amazon taking over creative control.
“Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, in a news release. “We are honored to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world.”
Wilson said that he was stepping back from producing Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects and that he and Broccoli agreed it was time for Amazon MGM to “lead James Bond into the future.”
Amazon acquired MGM Studios in 2022 for $8.5 billion — its second-largest acquisition ever behind its $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods in 2017.
With the purchase came a catalog of more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows that have collectively won more than 180 Academy Awards and 100 Emmys — and the rights to distribute all of the Bond films.
The Bond series features 25 films. The last, “No Time to Die,” was released in 2021 and starred Daniel Craig as 007 in his fifth and final turn in the role. The film earned $775 million.
Beyond the question of when fans can expect a new Bond film, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos got straight to the point Thursday wondering who fans would want to see in the leading role.
“Who’d you pick as the next Bond,” Bezos asked on Instagram and X.
The popular consensus in the comments so far on Thursday seems to be around Henry Cavill, best known for his portrayal of Superman in the DC Extended Universe. Cavill is already attached to plans for a “Warhammer 40,000” TV series with Amazon MGM.
Actors Idris Elba, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy and others also got a shout-out for possible Bond status.
Bezos himself even got a nod — with an image that’ll probably be his new social media avatar any minute …
