Amazon’s Rejected James Bond TV Shows Reportedly Revealed (Could These Happen Now?)

Prior to assuming full creative control over the James Bond franchise, Amazon attempted to pitch series producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson on various spinoffs for TV, which were all rejected. A report in The Hollywood Reporter details that Amazon expressed interest in producing shows about franchise staples such as Miss Moneypenny and CIA agent Felix Leiter. There was also an idea for “something involving a female 007.” Broccoli and Wilson, who had final say on anything Bond-related, consistently turned Amazon down, as they only wanted to make theatrical feature films. For a time, Amazon thought MGM executive Courtenay Valenti, known as “the Barbara whisperer” at the studio, would be able to talk Broccoli and Wilson into it, but that obviously did not happen.

This anecdote is included in a section of the report covering how the producers’ relationship with Amazon soured over time. In particular, Broccoli did not take kindly to Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke referring to the Bond franchise as “content,” and Wilson was having difficulties “[setting] up meetings with Amazon’s top brass.”

In February, a joint venture between Amazon, MGM, Broccoli, and Wilson was announced. While Broccoli and Wilson retain an ownership stake in the Bond franchise, they will no longer be involved with making creative decisions. Amazon now has full control over the property, a development that surprised former James Bond actor Timothy Dalton.

[RELATED – If Amazon Is Taking Over James Bond, They Need to Avoid This Massive Mistake]

Amazon’s $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM was completed in 2022, and since that time, there’s been no meaningful progress made on another James Bond installment. Development on Bond 26 has stalled, and reports indicate it won’t be ready to begin production for at least another year. There have also been rumors about James Bond television shows for the Prime Video streaming service, but Broccoli maintained that her “focus is making the feature films.” These were sources of frustration for Amazon, leading to the joint venture.

Amazon clearly did not spend all that money on MGM to simply release a new James Bond movie every few years. The joint venture wouldn’t have happened if the studio was on the same page as Broccoli and Wilson. Especially since Amazon has tried to get a Bond TV show off the ground before, it stands reason to believe there will be some kind of Prime Video series made in the near future. Whether or not one of Amazon’s previous pitches gets revived will likely depend on how Bond 26 development shapes up. As the franchise enters a new era, Amazon will probably want to keep all projects under one cohesive continuity. If the new Bond partners up with Felix Leiter in a movie, that could open the door for Felix to star in a TV show down the line. Perhaps the next iteration of Q or Moneypenny will quickly become a fan-favorite and spark interest in additional stories.

Given all the work that has to be done on Bond 26, getting the right pieces in place for the film should be the utmost priority. However, it’s clear Amazon is thinking about the future and what it can do to expand the franchise. Understandably, some fans are concerned this will cause the James Bond IP to be watered down, but if handled properly, these projects could flesh out classic Bond characters in interesting ways. For instance, a Felix Leiter series could be akin to Andor, tapping into compelling espionage drama in a manner that surprises audiences.