If Amazon Is Taking Over James Bond, They Need to Avoid This Massive Mistake

Amazon has assumed creative control over the James Bond franchise, and if the long-running series is going to continue to be one of the film industry’s premier properties, the studio needs to avoid making a critical mistake. In February, former James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson shockingly announced they were stepping away from the franchise, creating a new joint venture with Amazon and MGM. Under the terms of the deal, Broccoli and Wilson retain an ownership stake, but they are no longer involved with making creative decisions. Amazon now has the freedom to do whatever it wants with Bond.

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While this means Bond 26, which had stalled in development with no script or director attached, will be able to move forward quickly now, some fans are concerned about the larger ramifications of this development. In an era where the likes of Marvel, Star Wars, and DC have experienced ups and downs due to an overabundance of content, the fear is Bond will become the next big franchise that’ll be watered down. As tempting as it might be for Amazon to green light several Bond-related projects, the studio needs to remember that quality is more important than quantity.

Broccoli & Wilson Kept James Bond Exclusively in Theaters

In 2022, Amazon closed its $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM, a transaction that was made in part so it could acquire the rights to the lucrative James Bond franchise. Since the series kicked off with Dr. No in 1962, the films have collectively grossed over $7.8 billion (unadjusted for inflation), making it one of the highest-grossing movie series of all time. Having IP that valuable under its umbrella was very appealing for Amazon, however, at the time of the MGM acquisition, Broccoli and Wilson had final say on anything concerning 007.

This meant that Amazon could not move forward with any spin-off TV shows for the Prime Video streaming service, or even spearhead a new movie, without Broccoli and Wilson’s approval. And for the duration of their tenure as Bond gatekeepers, the producers stoutly maintained that the franchise would remain a theatrical exclusive. Whenever there was speculation about a series, Broccoli would shoot it down, saying, “Our focus is making the feature films.” The two were never interested in making a TV show, feeling that would distract them from what was most important: the movies.

Their strategy made James Bond an anomaly in the larger Hollywood landscape. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars (among other brands) expanded with standalone movies and TV shows filling in the gaps between the mainline films, Bond was just about 007’s big-screen exploits. This was refreshing in a way; as other properties arguably lost some of their luster as time went on, the arrival of a new Bond movie still felt like a special event because several years would pass between installments. There was never a risk of the franchise becoming overexposed in the pursuit of more content. Audiences had plenty of time to miss James Bond and get genuinely excited for the next film. Just looking at Daniel Craig’s run, some entries received stronger reviews than others, but all five Craig-led installments performed well at the box office. Would that have been the case if viewers were inundated with Bond TV series and spin-off movies in the interim?

Amazon Has to Avoid James Bond Franchise Fatigue

Shortly after the joint venture was announced, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy commented on James Bond’s future, ensuring audiences the studio will “take great care” of their prized IP. Obviously, for optics, the executive couldn’t have come out and said Amazon was about to milk the franchise dry for everything it’s worth, but hopefully Amazon makes good on that promise. Right now, fans are very concerned Amazon is going to use its newfound creative freedom as a license to produce all kinds of films and TV shows, moving the franchise’s scope well beyond just James Bond’s cinematic adventures.

Whenever Amazon moves forward with its first James Bond movie, there will likely be a lot of enthusiasm since it marks the start of a new era, but if the franchise is mishandled, that novelty will wear off quick. Over the course of a decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe established itself as the biggest film series in history, but in the years after Avengers: Endgame, it’s struggled to maintain that level of success as it became spread too thin across various mediums. Star Wars: The Force Awakens brought that franchise back in record-breaking fashion, but it too has been uneven as Lucasfilm pursues a plethora of TV and film projects to varying degrees of success. Both of these franchises serve as cautionary tales for Amazon — and it’s imperative Amazon learns the right lessons.

Just because something is immensely popular doesn’t mean audiences want a constant barrage of stories from that world. There was a time when a Marvel or Star Wars movie bombing at the box office seemed incomprehensible, but then Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Marvels happened. In the right hands, James Bond spinoffs like a young Q origin story or a series about M rising up the ranks at MI6 could work, but those would be very tricky needles to thread and threaten to upend Amazon’s massive investment in the franchise. The last thing dedicated viewers want to see is their worst fears realized before the next Bond movie properly gets off the ground. That could cause them to lose interest quickly.

Amazon should take a page out of Broccoli and Wilson’s book and keep the focus on the next film for now. That is the most important project of this enterprise. If Amazon has dreams of expanding the Bond universe, it needs to ensure audiences are onboard with whoever Craig’s successor is. The best way to do that is to be patient and take the time necessary to make Bond 26 an entertaining introduction to the next 007 that gets viewers excited for what’s next. Pull that off, and then Amazon can figure out what to do next — as long as it’s in moderation.