Amazon Breaks Silence on the Future of James Bond

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has commented on the future of the James Bond franchise, ensuring fans that the studio “will take great care” of the property after it assumed full creative control over the long-running IP. In an interview with CNBC (via Deadline), the executive discussed the recent joint venture between Amazon, MGM, and former James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, which gives Amazon final say on future 007 productions. While Jassy admitted there’s still a lot of work to be done before the next Bond film comes out, he’s excited about what’s in store.

“We don’t have a plan yet on what the next theme is going to be,” Jassy said. “We haven’t – nobody’s written the story yet. But we will take great care. It’s an amazing franchise that we care a lot about and that we expect to develop over a long period of time.”

Before the joint venture was announced, Broccoli and Wilson were reportedly at odds with Amazon over the direction of the Bond franchise, which caused development on Bond 26 to reach a standstill. In the years since 2021’s No Time to Die was released, there’s been no significant progress made on the next installment. Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan was reportedly interested in helming a Bond movie at one point, but that fell through when Broccoli wouldn’t give him final cut.

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Under the terms of the joint venture, Wilson and Broccoli retain an ownership stake in the James Bond franchise, but they are no longer involved in making creative decisions. Wilson is retiring from filmmaking, while Broccoli will pursue other producing opportunities. Though Amazon can now fast track Bond 26, it’s been reported that a new movie likely wouldn’t begin production for “at least a year.”

In the immediate aftermath of the shocking announcement, fans became concerned that Amazon will soon oversaturate the marketplace with James Bond content. For instance, Broccoli and Wilson consistently blocked the possibility of a spin-off TV series, maintaining they were only interested in pursuing theatrical features. Now, Amazon has free rein to produce whatever it wants, and the notion of boosting Prime Video with a James Bond series will likely be appealing. Until the studio’s plans for the franchise become clearer, fans probably won’t take much solace in Jassy’s “great care” statement. At this point, viewers are just going to wait and see if their worst fears become realized.

Considering how much money Amazon shelled out to acquire MGM (in no small part to gain the James Bond rights), the studio’s desire to get Bond 26 and other projects moving is understandable. The hope is the higher-ups have a firm grasp on the responsibility of having complete creative control and do their best to honor Wilson and Broccoli’s legacy. The likes of Marvel and Star Wars have experienced their fair share of ups and downs due to an overabundance of movies and TV shows released in a short period of time. It would be a shame if James Bond followed suit and eventually became watered down. There’s obviously a lot of storytelling potential within the franchise, but Amazon will have to be smart about what it decides to green light.