This is a sad, painful read about the Broccolis attempt to save what Bond is, while Amazon is pushing to do some silly stuff. As with anything, it gets political quickly.
Shaken and stirred: James Bond is stuck in a tug-of-war between the family that controls 007 and his new overlords at Amazon https://t.co/46C5wzCHoD
— WSJ Business News (@WSJbusiness) December 20, 2024
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The Broccoli family's control of James Bond has few comparisons in contemporary Hollywood, where cherished characters are gobbled up by conglomerates eager to exploit them across screens, toy shelves and theme parks. For decades, studio executives have salivated over the chance to do the same with Bond.
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To Broccoli and Wilson, Bond is more than a character with $7.6 billion in box-office sales to his name. He is a lucrative family heirloom, to be handled with care.
On set, Broccoli's colleagues say she exudes a den-mother authority over all the stunts, explosions and egos.
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To friends, Broccoli has characterized her thoughts on Amazon this way: "These people are f idiots."
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The company's tech-centric focus loomed over the franchise as soon as merger discussions began. Some executives at MGM were concerned that Bond and other titles would be given at-home launches in an era of ascendant streaming services like Amazon Prime Video.
Holy red flag, Batman.Quote:
Mike Hopkins, who oversees Amazon's Prime Video business, told associates ahead of the sale that he was optimistic the company could win over Broccoli's trust and convince her to allow them to do more with the franchise.
Aaaaaaand there it is.Quote:
Amazon executives brainstormed among themselves how Bond could be plugged into their machine. Would Amazon produce a James Bond TV show for its Prime Video service? What about a Moneypenny spinoff? Or a TV spinoff centered on a female 007?
Broccoli's response to such enthusiasm, one friend said, is often the same: Did you read the contract?
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Broccoli was irked in one early meeting when Salke referred to James Bond by a dreaded word: "content." Using such a sterile term, one friend reflected, was like a "death knell" to Broccoli.
Red flags! Red flags everywhere!Quote:
The idea of casting an unknown in a lead role like Bond is hard to imagine at Amazon, they said.
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Wilson, her stepbrother, has complained to friends that he couldn't land a meeting with anyone at Amazon above an "L6," the internal designation for a senior role that is nonetheless six rungs below Chief Executive Andy Jassy, an L12.
I can not think of a faster way to Bud Light the franchise than to cave to what Amazon wants here.Quote:
Some say a person of color in Bond's tuxedo would better reflect the U.K.'s changing demography, and even nod to its ugly history of colonization. Take it a step further, others say, and cast a woman or a gay man.
Broccoli has told friends that she doesn't have any qualms with casting a nonwhite or gay actor, but does believe Bond should always be played by a man, and should always be played by a Brit.
