©Courtesy of “No Time To Die”

Examine Marvel and Star Wars, two sparkling Hollywood jewels that Disney acquired in the 2010s. They kept pushing until they were exhausted. Intellectual Property isn’t the same as it used to be lately….

Today, Amazon MGM Studios, Michael G. Wilson, and Barbara Broccoli announced that they have established a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights, and both parties will continue to hold a stake in the franchise. Amazon MGM Studios will be given creative control over the James Bond franchise after the transaction closes, according to the terms of the new venture.

“Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide. We are honoured to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world.”

“With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future,” said Wilson.

Barbarsa Broccoli followed, “My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli. I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”

MGM was acquired by Amazon in 2022, resulting in a vast collection of over 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows. Amazon has had rights to distribute all of the James Bond films since the MGM acquisition, and with this agreement, it will have creative control over future productions.