James Bond 26 gets a grim update amid behind-the-scenes drama at Amazon

for 62 years, James Bond franchise It was one of the surest things to happen in the film industry. Created by novelist Ian Fleming, the character is an indelible figure in global popular culture; Almost everyone has heard of an MI6 agent with a license to kill, so much so that they know his favorite drink order. The property has seen downturns (the least of which being the period between Timothy Dalton’s box office disappointment “License to Kill” and Pierce Brosnan’s 007 debut “GoldenEye”), but it’s never stopped for more than one movie. Every generation has grown up on one James Bond film or another, and the debate over who did it best is one of the most interesting in the world of cinema – primarily because most people agree that no one did it poorly.

Recently, the main Bond speculation has been around who will succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond after he was nominated A final farewell to the character in the 2021 film “No Time to Die.” Since three years have passed, with the longest period between films being the aforementioned five-year period between Dalton and Brosnan, fans have become understandably concerned about the lack of an announcement regarding anything To do a new Bond movie. There’s no new 007, no director, no screenwriters, no resemblance of a post-Craig plan.

According to an article just published From The Wall Street Journalfans shouldn’t get their hopes up about a new film heading into production any time soon because Amazon Studios and Bond producer Barbara Broccoli have reached an impasse over how they should proceed. And yet, they don’t even talk. Who is to blame?

When Amazon Studios spent $6.5 billion to buy MGM in 2021, it did so with high hopes of capitalizing on… Many studio franchises such as “Rocky”, “Legally Blonde” and “The Pink Panther”. The crown jewel, of course, was James Bond, which was entering a new phase and thus seemed ripe for expansion.

Barbara Broccoli, who inherited the franchise from her father Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, has very particular ideas about who and what James Bond should be. He will always be a British man, and should not be treated as a growth industry that can be built up and commodified in every way until the value of the property is dried up. So, when Jennifer Salke at Amazon Studios began brainstorming ideas for a film centered around M’s secretary Miss Moneypenny (who became part of the action as portrayed by Naomie Harris in the Craig films) and the spinoff TV series, Broccoli, which played a final role in the tell-all story, Bond creatively, shut it down.

In the Wall Street Journal article, an unnamed source quoted Broccoli as saying: “These people are stupid.”

Broccoli is clearly operating according to a business axiom handed down to her by her father: “Don’t let temporary people make permanent decisions.” Since Bond has essentially been a Broccoli family business since the John F. Kennedy administration, Broccoli is very protective of the character. She’s proud of films, and apparently bristled when Salk referred to them as “content” — which must be a dirty word for anyone who cares about film when it’s used in relation to the craft of art.

So, it’s safe to say that Broccoli won’t move forward with Amazon Studios under Salkey unless she’s willing to take her hands off the merchandise and let her direct films like she’s been doing for decades. What does this mean for the future?

If Amazon Studios is intent on turning the Bond franchise into a movie and streaming series factory inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I don’t think there’s any way they can move forward with Broccoli. Her job is Bond. Every creative decision will be made under her watch. Although they have proven their flexibility over the years when it comes to hiring Notable directors like Sam Mendes (who will not be returning) and Cary Joji Fukunaga, and allowing writers other than longtime 007 writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade to contribute to the scripts, wouldn’t allow Amazon Studios to grow the franchise through algorithm. James Bond films may not be high art, but they are an important part of cinema history; Moviegoers still flock to them, so Broccoli has every reason to exert her influence. And Amazon Studios, which has had a poor track record lately (just look at its overpricing lately, “Red One” isn’t a complete failure Or better yet, don’t), you should know when to keep your distance.

Unfortunately, the people who swallow the tech industry’s Kool-Aid tend to be infuriatingly arrogant and habituated to getting their way, so the only likely outcome here would be a breakup – meaning Amazon Studios would have to find a buyer for Bond. Since it will be sold from a hacked site (where everyone in town will know they have no choice but to unload the property), you’re unlikely to get a great deal for the character. Broccoli will also have a fair amount of say in where the franchise goes as no one would spend a dollar on 007 if they thought she wouldn’t be receptive to their ideas. You probably wouldn’t want to deal with Warner Bros.’s notoriously meddlesome (and clownish) David Zaslav, so a franchise company like Sony or Paramount might make sense.

More on the future of James Bond as it develops.