Daniel Craig weighs in on new Bond/Amazon deal

Albert "Cubby" Broccoli acquired the rights to the James Bond novels from Ian Fleming and through his Eon Productions produced every Bond movie from "Dr. No" through 1989's "License to Kill." The Bond rights, and Bond production, was then passed on to his daughter Barbara and his stepson Michael G. Wilson. The studios that distributed Bond movies got moved around throughout the years, but they were under the MGM umbrella at the time of 2021's "No Time to Die." That is, to date, the most-recent Bond movie. It turns out it is probably not a coincidence that in March of 2022 Amazon closed a deal for $8.5 billion to acquire MGM.

This piece from Consequence quotes Broccoli from a Wall Street Journal article saying that Amazon has been holding Bond "hostage" and that an Amazon executive referred to the Bond movies as "content," which she saw as incredibly problematic. 

Alas, once one splashes enough cash one tends to get their way. Amazon, Broccoli, and Wilson have a new deal for a "joint venture" in which they collectively own the Bond rights, but crucially, Amazon now has full creative control of the franchise. It is now yet-another content slice for Amazon.

One of the first things that will likely happen is a new James Bond being cast, but for now Daniel Craig remains the most-recent Bond and the face of the franchise to many. Upon the reporting of the news, Craig sent a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, saying:

“My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant  and undiminished. I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well-deserved) retirement and  whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular  and I hope I can be part of them.”

As indicated in Craig's statement, the 83-year-old Wilson has said he's done working in the film industry, while Broccoli has indicated an intention to look elsewhere. Bond belongs to Amazon, now. 

While Craig was not always enthused about playing 007, as his time in the role wound down and he got to do stuff like "Knives Out" his feelings about the experience grew more positive. Now that the franchise is behind him, he can fully embrace his time in the iconic role.

As you wait for more Bond news, check out the Yardbarker ranking of every Bond movie and resign yourself to the notion of an Amazon Prime exclusive Bond film.