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In case you are a movie fan who has been living under a rock for the last week, I regret to inform you that the Broccoli family—who have long been the stewards of the James Bond film franchise—recently handed over full creative control to Amazon in exchange for a major paycheck. The Oscars decided to pay tribute to the Broccolis, following Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson’s honor with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award last November, with a tribute to 007. It was…strange.
Though introduced by onetime Bond Girl Halle Berry, the musical medley featured stars with absolutely no ties to the franchise, including Margaret Qualley, Lisa of Blackpink (and The White Lotus), Doja Cat, and Raye. (The three musicians are all currently promoting “Born Again,” their recently released single.) It felt as if Daniel Craig (who has been making the awards circuit for his role in Queer), Paul McCartney (who served as one of the musical guests at the recent SNL50 celebration), and Adele (who won an Oscar for her performance of “Skyfall”) all passed on appearing in the tribute. Instead of asking one of the many performers who have been involved in the Bond franchise over the past several decades, so the show ginned up something rather random.
The effect felt like a death knell for the franchise which many in Hollywood fear will lose its verve now that a tech conglomerate has gotten its hands on it. The Broccolis have long refused to produce spinoffs or TV series connected to Bond in order to not sully its story. Amazon has a history of mining IP like The Lord of the Rings for all it is worth. The Broccolis also took big risks in casting, most recently with Daniel Craig, who was a controversial pick for the iconic role (due to his blonde hair) before wowing audiences in Casino Royale and Skyfall. Meanwhile, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos recently tweeted a poll asking fans to vote for the next Bond.
Tension between Amazon and the stewards of 007 has reportedly been simmering for years. Amazon acquired MGM for $8.5 billion in 2022, gaining not only a massive catalogue of old films but the rights to Bond, one of the most successful franchises in history. But since, the process of finding a new Bond has come to a standstill. Daniel Craig was (spoiler alert) killed off at the end of his last 007 film, No Time to Die, leaving an opening for a new, young actor to take his place. Reportedly the Broccolis clashed with Amazon’s creative team over the direction of the franchise and no frontrunner for the role emerged.
Nor has a writer or director been named for the next Bond film. The Broccolis have famously been protective of the spy, refusing to update the character’s traits or overindulge in the franchise connectivity that is so common nowadays. They also have refused to give filmmakers final cut, which means directors like Christopher Nolan, who expressed interest in directing a Bond after the release of Tenet.
Now Amazon will have to start the hunt for a new creative team as well as a star. Where 007 will head next is anyone’s guess. But that Oscars tribute left us both shaken and stirred.
