Amazon MGM acquired creative control over 007

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Maybe they did what too many do: hang on too long without feeling the need or the urge to really continue.

They should have handed over the family business to the next generation - Gregg and so on - directly after NTTD.

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I wish Greg, his brother or Angelica stepped up to take up the mantle a whole decade ago.

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We probably have to take into account the general environment in which this move happened. When you’ve got an entity that doesn’t any more subscribe to the rule of law all manner of things can happen to your property. At best a lengthy power struggle that costs your time and energy and destroys precious links in the process. At worst something far more nefarious.

The Broccolis are perhaps best served with this outcome. They have their share and need not involve themselves with the details.

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One thing than can result from this is news on the next movie arriving soon.

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Nefarious ?

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We‘re talking Bezos here.

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Following recent leaks/revelations, clearly things couldn’t go on as they were. This moves things forward. But there’s no getting away from it: Amazon acquiring creative control of the franchise makes me very VERY queasy.

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Honestly, I feel it probably is for the best for the series to move forward.

Will the future be any good, or will it become a Disney style Marvel/Star Wars cash cow, squeezed so dry that even this “once-fan-of-those-franchises” stops caring? Who knows.

But it seems relatively clear there was an impass, and there had to be a compromise, and if that couldn’t be reached, one party had to bow out. And against Amazon, there would be one vwinner.

NTTDs ending does put a bow on the Eon era (a bit of a downer perhaps).

Even if the future of the series quality declines and my interest wanes in new outputs, there’s 60 years of the Eon Era, 25 films that I, at the very least, enjoy.

Thank you Eon for those 25, and fingers crossed for the future!

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„So, we can finally greenlight „Road to a million“-season 16!“

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We’re not being taken over here, are we???

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Here? Never.

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With Bryce out there keeping an eye on things?

Never.

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Road to a Million was Eon’s project, pre-Amazon, and Amazon actually had a bit of an issue with it. It reeks of a money squeeze, but shows Eon wasn’t immune to the appeal of “branching out” or “spinning off”.

These are qoutes from that Wall St Journal article:

“The Bond reality show was in development before the MGM sale to Amazon, with Broccoli’s backing.”

“Amazon executives have griped that the show’s first season lost a significant share of viewers after six minutes.”

In fact, Road to a Million will have been Eon’s last contribution and decision unfortunately.

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I am absolutely floored

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So just to sum this up, the only Fleming books I can buy are edited ones, the only books IFP is currently publishing are ones without James Bond, and the Broccoli’s just ceded control to the company I just ordered toothpaste from.

Wonderful.

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I´m sure Amazon loved (even proposed) the idea for that show because the algorithm predicted big returns. But the actual returns made them love it a lot less.

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Given the quality of the few films we’ve gotten in the past 15 years, I can’t sit here and say that this is upsetting news. I’m already on record as taking Amazon’s side in the dispute that ultimately led to this. The franchise was at a creative dead end, which was a shame considering the quality of the talent that they had begun to attract to it over the course of Craig’s run.

But, as I have also said, the Bond franchise is essentially dead. Today’s news is, to a degree, further confirmation of that.

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Deadline: “Financial details were not disclosed, but industry sources say that Broccoli and Wilson will receive a healthy payday from Amazon and will continue to have some shared economics going forward.”

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Shocking! Positively shocking.

But then again, it’s not as if EON delivered anything good recently. Honestly, everything after QoS has been rubbish.
And they didn’t sell to Netflix, which would have meant instant death for Bond-verse.

Things can of course get worse, but they sure can get way better. Besides, Amazon-produced films are usually quite good.

So, as James would put it: “Yes, well, we’ll see about that…”

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