Amazon’s takeover of James Bond is bringing major changes, with reports suggesting a female 007, a Moneypenny spinoff, and a full franchise reboot.
Update: According to the Daily Mail, Jeff Bezos sent out a memo stating Bond will be British and male.
Why Did Amazon Push Out Broccoli and Wilson?
In February, Amazon paid another $1 billion to take full control of James Bond from longtime owners Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Previously, when Amazon bought the rights for $8.5 billion in 2022, Broccoli and Wilson retained creative control—but that has now changed.
Jeff Bezos Reacts to Broccoli’s Harsh Words
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jeff Bezos took action after The Wall Street Journal quoted Broccoli calling Amazon executives “f—ing idiots.” Reportedly, Bezos then ordered her removal, saying, ‘I don’t care what it costs, get rid of her.’”
Amazon’s Troubled Track Record with Big Franchises
You can argue she’s actually not wrong as Amazon has had a slew of disasters including Rings of Power, Citadel, I’d argue Wheel of Time, Reacher was on shaky ground with Season 2 but at least seems to have improved with Season 3, and alarm bells are going off about the He-Man movie and the Voltron film. I’ve heard it said the tech companies like Amazon only care about putting out quantity and don’t respect the audience, caring little about quality.
Amazon’s Vision for a Bond Cinematic Universe
So when Amazon paid that $8.5 billion, Amazon wanted to create a Marvel-style cinematic universe for James Bond (JBCU?!). That would have entailed TV shows, spinoffs, possible movies with a female 007, a Moneypenny spinoff focusing on the secretary to M (recently played by Naomi Harris), and a spinoff about Felix Leiter (recently played by Jeffrey Wright).
Broccoli and Wilson Shut Down Amazon’s Plans
Reportedly, Broccoli and Wilson put the kibosh on all of Amazon’s ideas, and only wanted James Bond to be released as event films.
James Bond Reboot is Coming—But Who Will Play 007?
Well, now that Broccoli and Wilson are gone, all of Amazon’s ideas are apparently back on the table. Amazon will reboot James Bond with a new actor. According to THR’s report, there is currently no actor, no script, and no director. Henry Cavill is the fan-favorite choice to play the new James Bond.
(note: featured image is fan art of actress Cynthia Erivo as a female 007)
