Who’s the Next James Bond Now That Bezos’ Amazon Acquires Franchise for $1B
Who’s the Next James Bond Now That Bezos’ Amazon Acquires Franchise for $1B
Amazon MGM Studios, owned by Jeff Bezos, announced on Thursday that it had gained full control of the James Bond franchise after lengthy negotiations with the Broccoli family, who had owned it for decades. Once negotiations concluded, Mr. Bezos promptly asked fans who they thought the next James Bond should be.
The billionaire posted a story on his personal Instagram account asking “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” to his 4.3 million Instagram followers.
The question has been a constant topic of debate on the Internet since Daniel Craig stepped down from the 007 role after the 2021 film No Time to Die. So far, no new Bond has been cast; there isn’t even a script for the 26th movie in the franchise.
Actors closely linked to the role include Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Idris Elba.
Amazon and James Bond rights
After the tech giant purchased MGM for $8.5 billion in 2022 it effectively gained distribution rights for all James Bond films. Crucially, they lacked the right to make creative decisions, as the Broccoli family still held these.
That same year Amazon reportedly wanted an agreement for control of the franchise’s creative rights, as the company was not used to not having full control over a major IP. Reportedly, Amazon was willing to give the family a blank check to get full creative control.
James Bond Shocker: Amazon MGM Gains Creative Control of 007 Franchise as Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson Step Back https://t.co/kT27Kuyghk
— Variety (@Variety) February 20, 2025
Negotiations between both parties continued until December 2024, when tension was at an all-time high according to the Wall Street Journal. The publication reported that Broccoli went as far as to tell its inner circle “These people are f***ing idiots.”
The conclusion of these tense negotiations came after Amazon MGM, Wilson, and Broccoli formed a new venture holding James Bond’s intellectual property rights. All three parties remain co-owners in this deal, but Amazon MGM retains creative control.
The deal cost Amazon around $1billion
Sources informed the online publication Deadline, renowned for its industry insiders, that Amazon and MGM agreed to $1 billion to finalize the deal. The same publication noted that insiders close to the producers were surprised that Barbara Broccoli acquiesced.
It was also reported that a major concern of the family was that Amazon might expand the franchise into something similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or Star Wars.
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos asked his followers on X who should be the next James Bond. Some are calling for Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. But the clear fan-favorite is Henry Cavill. https://t.co/BQiaW8Gxds pic.twitter.com/iyKr5JH0Ey
— IGN (@IGN) February 21, 2025
Interestingly, Barbara Broccoli has not yet decided who she wants to play 007, though most recent links indicated her pick would be Taylor-Johnson. She only said it would be a man in his 30s, as casting the character “is a big decision.”