Next James Bond Hunt Continues: Amazon Secures Creative Control and Reveals Producers
White shirt, bow tie, and an elegant tuxedo…James Bond’s persona is defined by this styling sophistication and they are
White shirt, bow tie, and an elegant tuxedo…James Bond’s persona is defined by this styling sophistication and they are not for anyone. A special James Bond has special characteristics that should match his charisma.
James Bond is one of the oldest yet magnetic characters in cinema, where careful planning and selection procedures mark the next 10-15 years of his charge for the role. Who will be the next James Bond? It still remains uncertain, but there are some proceedings for the James Bond franchise.
Amazon secures creative control of the 007 franchise
According to The Guardian, Amazon film chief Courtney Valenti told that what previous producers have done for the 007 franchise have done “with a great sense of responsibility”. When Wilson and Broccoli stepped back, Valenti praised them for being “two of the most accomplished, experienced, and respected film producers in our industry”.
She went on to say,
“We are honored to be working with them on James Bond’s next chapter and are excited to deliver to global audiences storytelling that upholds the impeccable legacy of this beloved character.”
Next James Bond film gets a release date
Last year, Amazon MGM acquired the creative control of the James Bond franchise in a deal worth $US1 billion. Last month, it gained full control of its intellectual property, with long-time producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli stepping aside.
Amazon, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, has announced that the next Bond film will be in cinemas in 2027, as per The Sun.
Who are the new producers of the next James Bond film?
Amy Pascal, who produced Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise, and David Heyman, who was in charge of the Harry Potter franchise, are the newly signed producers for the next Bond installment.
Pascal has experience with the Bond series as Sony’s chairman of the film, supervising Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall. Moreover, Heyman has experience with all of the Harry Potter films, along with the Fantastic Beasts franchise. A much-anticipated HBO TV series is also in the pre-production phases under Heyman’s reign.
Both of them are excited to take control of the franchise as they confessed that they wanted to follow in the footsteps of Broccoli and Wilson, who have made extraordinary Bond films previously, per The Guardian.
They are looking forward to keeping the same excitement alive and embarking on this next adventure with the same high spirits.
The next James Bond film, under the working title Bond 26, is officially in the running but without an official announcement of an actor who will play the next James Bond.
View this post on Instagram
Next James Bond film has a massive budget
The Sun newspaper reported that after Amazon had taken over the creative control, the James Bond franchise has another three years to get the next film in cinemas. It has been given a colossal budget of £250 million for the said purpose.
The budget is £30 million more than what was designated for 2021’s No Time to Die. The reboot ideas and story plots are already in the works, as cited by one of the reporters of The Sun magazine.
As Amazon is eyeing on starting to earn back the revenue from the next big Bond film, it is almost guaranteed that with creative control now in Amazon’s hands, there would be positive results. The Sun Magazine remarked,
“Amazon is a business, and Bond is a heavyweight movie theatre earner. No one is turning their back on that.”
Next James Bond should be a British
Daniel Craig retired as James Bond in 2021 after his film, No Time to Die. From then onwards, the hunt for the next James Bond is on! It seems that the management first wanted to finish off the big matters of the production side so that the high authority would lead the casting and filming processes smoothly.
After the new deal with Amazon, Daniel Craig gave all his respect and admiration to the previous producers who remained “constant and undiminished”. He wished a well-deserved relaxing retirement for Michael and best wishes for Barbara for her next ventures in life.
As for the question ‘who will be the next James Bond’, Pierce Brosnan has some thoughts. BBC disclosed that Brosnan was determined when he said it’s “a given” that the Bond will be British. He further said,
“History has been passed on and I’m very proud to have been part of the history and the legacy of Bond and the movies I made with Barbara and Michael.”
Brosnan played Bond for seven years (from 1995’s Golden Eye till 2002’s Die Another Day) while Craig has been Bond for 15 years. It is hard to discern for now who will be the next Bond and for how long he will stay one. Generally, the rule for Bond is to stay for at least ten years.
For that matter, several British actors are in the review who might play the next James Bond, such as James Norton, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, and Henry Cavill.
A glimpse into Bond 26’s Future and James Bond franchise
Now that Amazon has gained control, questions arise as to how it will proceed with it. Mixed reactions were witnessed when the news of the new deal appeared. There was a presumption of “royal blood in lineage” for the previous two custodians all these years.
BBC is of the view that one area that Amazon can explore while making the next film is tapping the character’s origin stories. The idea might be great as Cruella came out as a successful film spin-off from the 101 Dalmatians franchise.
The creator of the Bond Experience fan channel on YouTube believes that Amazon might not be into having spin-offs about the side characters like Moneypenny and villains in the previous Bond films. He notes that if they do have to go with spin-offs, they might choose it for the “prime characters”.
Also, another bigger responsibility lies on the shoulders of Amazon now, which is making the Bond franchise appealing to the younger audience and to the American market who are “culturally slightly cooler on the Bond brand than the UK”, mentioned BBC.
Since the franchise is purely British and the new Bond must be British too, making it appealing to the US market would be a big concern that Amazon has to face before production begins. They certainly won’t want a huge amount of money to be flushed away and alter the “core product” drastically, which could probably lead the franchise to a greater risk.
What are your thoughts on Amazon’s deal and new producers for the Bond’s franchise? Comment below.
