Billionaire Jeff Bezos asked social media who should play the next James Bond now that Amazon MGM has taken over the franchise.
Amazon took creative control of the James Bond franchise this week after striking a deal with Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, who both inherited control of intellectual property from their father Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. Per NBC News:
The James Bond films have long been produced by Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, who inherited the control from their father Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. Wilson and Broccoli will now give creative control to MGM Studios, which Amazon acquired for $8.45 billion in 2021.
Amazon gained distribution rights to the Bond franchise after the MGM acquisition, but not creative control.As part of the deal, Amazon’s MGM Studios, Wilson and Broccoli formed a new joint venture to house the Bond intellectual property rights, and they will remain co-owners of the franchise.
In a statement, Mike Hopkins, Amazon’s head of Prime Video and MGM Studios, called the James Bond franchise a “treasured heritage” that will be ushered into a new generation.
“We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide,” said Hopkins.
“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,” he added.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos then took to his 4.3 million followers on Instagram to ask who should be the next 007, which prompted outpouring of support for beloved fan favorite Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), who was previously floated as a possible name alongside Aaron Taylor Johnson (Kick Ass)
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As Breitbart News reported in December, the James Bond franchise was placed on hold due to disagreements between Amazon and Barbara Broccoli; the former believing that the franchise should include Marvel-style spinoffs, an idea that Broccoli found so absurd that she reportedly called the studio heads “fucking idiots.” She also expressed doubts that Amazon, which owns MGM, should be the studio to carry on the franchise, believing that they had been holding it “hostage.”
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