A new report reveals strife behind the scenes ofJames Bond. Eon’s long-running spy movie franchise is based on the Ian Fleming books and kicked off in 1962. Over the years, 25 movies have been made with various stars in the lead, with Daniel Craig having most recently portrayed Bond, ending his five-movie tenure with 2021’sNo Time to Die. While the closing credits of that movie promised that the character will return, theupcomingBond 26has so far failed to make much headway, with no official casting for the iconic superspy being announced despite a multitude of rumors.
The Wall Street Journalrecently ran a report offering an update onJames Bond. According toWSJ, the relationship between the Broccoli family, who oversee the franchise, and Amazon (who bought the franchise’s studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 2022) has deteriorated. According to the report,longtime franchise steward Barbara Broccoli has confided in her friends that “These people are f— idiots"amid concerns that she doesn’t trust Amazon with the future of her big-screen property, partially spurred by a lack of a marketing push for the reality series007: Road to a MillionandJames Bondonce being referred to as “content.”
Broccoli’s distrust of Amazon has reportedly led to the new movie being stalled even further, asit currently has no story and no lead actor. It seems that she is biding her time with the project, having shared the advice, “Don’t have temporary people make permanent decisions.” While some of these concerns seem to be centered around Amazon’s streaming ethos, the company committed to releasing any future Bond movies in theaters as part of their acquisition of MGM.
What This Means For James Bond
The 26th Movie Isn’t Happening Any Time Soon
This report reveals that the franchise will likely continue to be on hold for some time to come. However,this kind of delay is not necessarily uncommonfor the franchise. The hiatuses between previousJames Bondmoviesusually last just two or three years, but have sometimes extended longer, perhaps most notably in the six-year gap between Timothy Dalton’s final outing, 1989’sLicence to Kill, and Pierce Brosnan’s first, 1995’sGoldenEye. There was also a six-year gap between Craig’s 2015 outingSpectreand 2021’sNo Time to Die.
WhileNo Time to Diewas delayed amid a creative overhaul, it was also held for 18 months after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic shut down theaters worldwide in early 2020.
However, should Broccoli’s primary concerns truly center on the franchise’s theatrical future,the relationship between the family and Amazon could eventually be repaired. While Amazon runs the streamer Prime Video, in recent years they have been less precious with their original movies than other streamers like Netflix, which usually only extends limited theatrical releases to its originals at most. Amazon, on the other hand, has allowed recentPrime Video moviesto get full theatrical releases that have amplified the prospects of titles such as the biographical dramaAirand Emerald Fennell’s erotic thrillerSaltburn.
Our Take On The James Bond Report
The Delay Could Have A Major Impact
Given the long history of the franchise, it seems like a near certainty that a newJames Bondmovie will eventually hit theaters, even if the post-No Time to Diebecomes the longest yet. However, should the upcoming movie be significantly delayed, it seems that the rumored leading men who have reportedly been in contention for the role - most notablyMan of Steel’s Henry Cavill andKraven the Hunter’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson - may no longer be considered,opening up the role to as-yet unknown stars.
Source:The Wall Street Journal
James Bond
The James Bond franchise follows the adventures of British secret agent 007 as he combats global threats. With a license to kill, Bond faces off against various villains and criminal organizations, employing high-tech gadgets, espionage, and charm. The series spans multiple films, featuring exotic locations, thrilling action sequences, and memorable characters. Bond’s mission to protect the world and uphold justice remains central, making the franchise an enduring icon in the spy genre.
