Barbara Broccoli (James Bond) buyout reportedly to cost Amazon $1B

The James Bond Dossier ^ | 21 February 2025 | News Desk

[dennisw]

Amazon MGM reported to pay Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson $1 billion to take over full creative control of James Bond.

As The James Bond Dossier reported yesterday Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson are to step down from 007, leaving Amazon to chart the course for the franchise. What wasn’t known until now was the price tag. Amazon, having already spent $8.5 billion acquiring MGM, has had to invest another $1 billion to remove the final obstacle—Broccoli and Wilson’s creative control.

For over sixty years, the Broccoli name has been synonymous with Bond. Wilson, now 83, had long planned to retire, but Broccoli’s departure was unexpected. Insiders suggest the fight against Amazon’s ambitions became too much. The streaming giant has made no secret of its desire to transform Bond into a franchise in the Marvel mould, a vision that clashed with Broccoli’s insistence on keeping 007 a singular cinematic event. She had resisted for years, but with Wilson gone, the battle was hers alone. “She’s a fighter,” one source told Deadline, “but she got tired of fighting.”

With Broccoli and Wilson out, Amazon’s plans can now move forward unimpeded. The slow-moving development cycles of the Broccoli era are likely over. Amazon, accustomed to rapid turnarounds, will want more frequent releases, and spin-offs—once unthinkable under Broccoli—are now back on the table. A film centred on Halle Berry’s Jinx was famously blocked in 2003; projects like that may finally see the light of day. But the biggest question remains the future of Bond himself. Casting has yet to be decided, and for the first time in decades, the decision rests entirely outside the Broccoli family.

Amazon’s upcoming presence at CinemaCon in April may offer the first real insight into its plans. The company is in the process of building its own theatrical distribution arm, which means it could not only produce Bond films but also release them directly, without relying on outside studios. That level of control is unprecedented in the franchise’s history, and the implications are enormous.

The industry reaction has been divided. Some see Amazon’s deep pockets as a chance to revitalise the series, potentially attracting directors like Christopher Nolan, who in the past were put off by Broccoli’s tight grip on creative decisions. Others fear the worst. One British film executive warned that without Broccoli’s careful supervision, Bond risks becoming “Jack Reacher in some TV show.” The truth is, no one yet knows what a post-Broccoli Bond looks like.

What is certain is that James Bond has entered uncharted territory. The Broccoli family built a legacy that lasted more than sixty years, shaping Bond into a globally recognised icon while fiercely protecting the series’ integrity. Whether Amazon will maintain that legacy—or reshape Bon

[mewzilla]

Amazon and Netflix in a race to see which company is best at churn and burn...

[MIA_eccl1212]

totally agree.
the REACHER TV character... is a stupid thug.
The Jack Reacher movies character is a brilliant superhero who can sherlock a situation long before he has his “eradicate the bad guy” moments.

[Spacetrucker]

Don’t forget quadriplegic.

[atomic_dog]

The more I watch Reacher the less I like this version. I have read almost all the books and the TV character differs greatly from the novels.

Also. I have had to watch Reacher and Bosch on pirate sites that offer a more a available and better performing service than Amazon. Not to mention no commercials which Amazon sucker punched us with.

I am completely ready close my Prime account but the wife won’t hear of it as she loves their archival old “True Crime” selection and watches it every night.

[Spacetrucker]

I REFUSE to give that “show” another moment of my time after the lead became so outspoken about his lib/commie ideology.

[GingisK]

I enjoyed “The English”. For brain twisting, try “Tales From The Loop”.

[ridesthemiles]

There is ONLY ONE MAGNUM

THERE IS ONLY ONE “QUIGLEY”

THERE IS ONLY ONE McGYVER

THERE IS ONLY ONE BOND

COPYCATS NEVER WORK

SEEMS MORE LIKE AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE $$$$ ON SOMEONE ELSE

[grey_whiskers]

...in a wheelchair.

[mairdie]

I would think present day is to appeal to a young audience that doesn’t remember the antique past as we do. Also not having to make sure everything is appropriate to an earlier time gives them some financial cushion to spend on other flashy things they want.

[grey_whiskers]

David Hogg.
Tim Walz would be M.

[JoeVortex]

"No doubt the next Bond will be a Black, Muslim, Transexual, Vegetarian, Communist"

You omitted zombie.

[Dr. Sivana]

I only watched it to see: Alexa Davalos.

She was fantastic. Her character could change personality and demeanor while still being the same person (gritty martial arts teacher surviving Japanese occupied western U.S., waitress in nether zone Canyon City Colorado, proper house guest of a high ranked Nazi in the northeast, '60s SF woman caught up in the hippie vibe). I really appreciated that through all these roles her natural underlying femininity showed through, especially when she had almost a maternal affection for the grupenfuhrer's son who was a good kid who was trying hard to be a good Nazi.

I wound up reading the book, which was much shorter, and found that the show was VERY loosely based on the book (it was a necessary device, but there was no convincing explanation as to who was making all those 16 mm films in the show.)

[Major Matt Mason]

The Bond Franchise to be destroyed by woke crap in 3....2....1....

Yep, if it is in the "Marvel mold", then let the race-swapping begin.

[MinorityRepublican]

I would think present day is to appeal to a young audience that doesn’t remember the antique past as we do.

We know that according to Hollywood, present day = woke.

[DownInFlames]

Cha Ching. Now they can go to Disneyland.

[DAC21]

And if Amazon recasts the lead with some wokester character, they are out hundreds of millions. This will be interesting to watch moving foreword.

[BBB333]

Thanks! They look interesting