The future of the James Bond franchise is in doubt, owing to a simmering dispute between its longtime producer, Barbara Broccoli, and its new owner, Amazon, which bought MGM Studios in 2021.

According to a report in the The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the two sides are locked in an “ugly stalemate” over how to proceed with future productions, such as whether to turn the franchise into a streaming series. As a result, production has ground to a halt on the next installment. There hasn’t been a new Bond movie since 2021, when Daniel Craig starred in No Time to Die.

The disagreements are more fundamental however, as expressed by one Amazon executive who was quoted as saying: “I have to be honest, I don’t think James Bond is a hero.”
That statement puts Amazon at odds with Broccoli, who has had creative control over the franchise for more than three decades.

The WSJ reported that Broccoli “has told friends she doesn’t trust algorithm-centric Amazon with a character she helped to mythologize through big-screen storytelling and gut instinct.” She reportedly added that “These people are f— idiots,” referring to the Amazon bigwigs she believes are responsible for the impasse.

Broccoli has expressed her displeasure with Amazon, which she reportedly described as a business that sells “everything from toilet paper to vacuums.”

The WSJ article concluded that it all “boils down to a clash between the 20th-century Hollywood of big screens and big swings and a new entertainment industry ruled by Silicon Valley firms that prize data, algorithms and streaming subscriptions.”

Over the years, Broccoli has consistently held to a traditional interpretation of the Bond character as a British male. She has argued against portraying 007 as a female, which has been suggested by some Amazon executives.

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