(Image Source: MGM, Amazon Prime Video)
Nearly three years have passed since "No Time to Die" concluded Daniel Craig's tenure as James Bond, yet development on the seventh iteration of the iconic spy franchise remains largely stalled. Today, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an extensive report detailing the reasons behind the current deadlock.
Fans familiar with the history of the Bond films know that Eon Productions, which holds the rights to the franchise, has always been fiercely protective of James Bond, preventing Hollywood from "over-exploiting" the character and compromising his established legacy. The Bond rights are a cherished family heirloom for Eon, passed down from previous producers. Siblings Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (pictured left below), who have managed Eon for decades, continue to uphold this protective ethos, carefully nurturing each new generation of Bond films. However, this very philosophy is now creating a significant rift with their new partners.
(Image Source: People)
The WSJ revealed that since Amazon acquired MGM, which co-owns the Bond rights with Eon, not only have MGM employees worried about their film library being unceremoniously dumped onto Amazon Prime Video as cheap streaming content, but Eon has also viewed Amazon's various proposals with extreme caution.
Even before the Amazon acquisition, Broccoli had already rejected numerous pitches for TV series, video games, and even branded casinos. Following Amazon's involvement, she reportedly told friends that she completely distrusted handing Bond over to a company run entirely by algorithms, going so far as to bluntly call Amazon's internal team "a bunch of f***ing idiots."
Broccoli's colleagues told The Wall Street Journal that she often exerts a maternal authority on set, closely supervising all stunt and explosion sequences. She operates with a strong set of principles and is dedicated to ensuring each Bond film adheres to specific narrative guidelines, such as Bond rarely firing the first shot.
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Broccoli's profound distrust of Amazon leaves the tech giant in a difficult position. Broccoli wields immense power, and with her brother Wilson (pictured right below) reportedly preparing for retirement, her influence is only set to grow. If she refuses to greenlight a new film, Amazon could genuinely be left without a new Bond movie indefinitely.
Part of Broccoli's skepticism towards Amazon stems from a saying her father taught her: "Never let temporary people make permanent decisions." Broccoli believes Amazon hasn't been in its position long enough, and might not be for long, to make lasting decisions about the franchise.
Even before the acquisition was finalized, Amazon had repeatedly inquired about Broccoli's willingness to develop spin-off series featuring various supporting characters from the Bond universe, including a potential female 007 agent. Broccoli's typical response to these inquiries was a cold retort: "Haven't you read the contract?" implying she had long since rejected such proposals.
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The Wall Street Journal noted that Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, once infuriated Broccoli during a meeting by referring to Bond films as "content." Many filmmakers are wary of this term, as "content" can devalue a work into a soulless commodity, and Broccoli is clearly no exception.
Both Wilson and Broccoli are accustomed to dealing with traditional, old-school studio systems and find Amazon executives' approach unbearable. They greatly admired Mike DeLuca and Pamela Abdy, who previously led MGM and were widely regarded in the industry as some of the most filmmaker-friendly executives.
Broccoli was therefore deeply disheartened when she learned DeLuca and Abdy would be leaving once the acquisition was finalized. DeLuca and Abdy later moved to another studio, taking on roles as co-chairmen and CEOs of Warner Bros. Pictures two years ago.
Currently, Eon and Amazon appear to remain at an impasse. Eon continues to staunchly defend the integrity of the Bond franchise, while Amazon is still meticulously trying to persuade Eon to manage the series using a Marvel Cinematic Universe-like approach. When the seventh James Bond will finally emerge remains anyone's guess.
via： Wall Street Journal