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The
Culver Studios, California, now owned by Amazon MGM.
MSM NEWS EVENING STANDARD - 26 FEBRUARY 2025 - AMAZON WILL TRY AND 'DOMINATE ENTIRE YEAR' WITH BOND FRANCHISES, SAYS AUTHOR
Crime writer Lee Child has said he believes Amazon MGM Studios will try “to dominate the entire year” with James Bond franchises if their future
installment proves commercially successful.
The British author, 70, created the former military police anti-hero Jack Reacher – which has been turned into an Amazon Prime series called Reacher starring US actor Alan Ritchson.
Last week, Amazon MGM Studios announced that they were taking creative control over the 007 character with a new venture that would see them co-own the franchise rights with Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Child told BBC One’s morning programme BBC Breakfast that Bond had got “to change”.
He added: “It’s so rooted in post-war Britain, the whole idea of Bond (is about him) … being a compensation (as) we’ve lost our real power, but Bond could sort anything out.
“The concept is dated, and it needs a shake-up. It needs refreshing. And the people that (were) looking after it before, I think, are just worn out. And so new blood, new energy is going to be good for it.”
When asked if he thought it would mean spin-offs, he said: “We’re doing a Reacher spin-off absolutely.
“And I’m sure that will happen (with Bond), because what Amazon generally likes to do is, if they get a hit, they want to dominate the entire year with it.
“And so we can imagine, I expect, a big Bond (film) production once every few years, and then a lot of like Bond origin (stories), a (Miss) Moneypenny spin-off (about the chief of the secret intelligence service’s secretary) … whatever it will be happening.”
He also said he believed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to write scripts and novels was not scary, as the technology “can only do what has already been done”.
“It can never produce that kind of madness that pushes something into the future,” Child said.
“So I’m not particularly worried about it at this point.”
The author also said that there should be a “worldwide search, or at least a British-wide search (to) find the right Bond”.
Child added: “The great thing about it is that it doesn’t have to be a huge star, because … Amazon is the platform. It’s a different financial dynamic.
“The star doesn’t have to bring the funding. And so it can be anybody. So I would say, if you’re watching now, if you fancy yourself as James Bond, call Amazon and say, can I try out?”
A number of actors including Happy Valley star James Norton, Man Of Steel actor Henry Cavill, Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Bob Marley: One Love actor Kingsley Ben-Adir are among the names suggested who could take over from Daniel Craig.
Craig’s final portrayal was in 2021’s No Time To Die.
Since the first 007 movie Dr No in 1962, the official Bond film franchise has been controlled by members of the American-British Broccoli family, either single-handedly or in partnership with others.
There has been a spin-off brought out by them, the Bond Prime Video game show 007: Road To A Million fronted by Succession actor Brian Cox which began in 2023, and is set to return for a second series.
The deal with Amazon MGM Studios is expected to close in 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, the PA news agency understands.
Child, real name James Grant, has written more than 25 Reacher books, whose fights with enemies are often described in extreme detail, as he investigates suspicious and dangerous situations after his retirement.
The series was turned into a film in 2012, with a 2016 sequel, and an Amazon Prime Video series in 2022 – with three seasons so far.
Child was made a CBE in 2019 for services to literature.
EVENING STANDARD
FEBRUARY 2025 - WHAT DOES THE AMAZON MGM STUDIOS DEAL MEAN FOR THE JAMES BOND SERIES?
With news that Amazon has gained creative control of the James Bond film franchise, PA has looked at what impact the deal will have on both the company’s studios and the 007 series.
Amazon acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer MGM in 2022 for 8.45 billion dollars (£6.48 billion) and rebranded its studios to Amazon MGM Studios a year later.
In the deal, Amazon gained the rights to distribute James Bond films, but now after taking creative control, it will control the 007 intellectual property rights as part of a joint venture with Eon Productions’ Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
WHAT FRANCHISES DO AMAZON MGM STUDIOS CURRENTLY OWN
When it acquired MGM in 2022, Amazon did not only acquire the distribution rights for Bond – many other major film franchises are now under the company’s control.
Amazon gained control of series including boxing film franchise Rocky, sci-fi series Stargate, Robocop, Pink Panther and Legally Blonde.
In 2017, Amazon acquired the global television rights to Lord Of The Rings, and in 2022 released the first series of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which had a second season in 2024, and plans for a third season have been confirmed.
HOW MUCH COULD THE 007 CREATIVE CONTROL DEAL BE WORTH TO AMAZON
The three most recent instalments of the James Bond franchise all appear in the top 10 UK box office highest-grossing films of modern times.
Skyfall, released in 2012, is third in the chart with inflation-adjusted takings of £134.2 million (as of 2023), behind only Star Wars: The Force Awakens in second place and
Titanic at the top.
Spectre, released in 2015, is sixth in the top 10 with £114.2 million, while No Time to Die, released in 2021, is seventh on £107.8 million.
The figures, compiled by the British Film Institute, cover the period since 1975, when comparable data began.
HOW DOES AMAZON MGM STUDIOS WORK
Amazon MGM Studios produces TV shows and films for the company’s Prime Video streaming platform and for release in cinemas.
It also produces content for Freevee, the company’s free content streaming service.
WHAT DOES THE DEAL MEAN FOR 007
The latest deal between Eon Productions, run by Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and Amazon, will give the US company control of the intellectual property rights to the film franchise.
This means the company has creative control over new projects featuring the spy, amid claims in US newspaper The Wall Street Journal that Amazon MGM Studios wants to expand Bond into TV and other ventures.
The Broccoli family of late Bond producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli will “remain co-owners of the franchise”.
Wilson, who will also remain a co-owner, will leave film work behind to “focus on art and charitable projects”.
WHAT 007 SPIN-OFFS HAVE THERE BEEN SO FAR
While there has never been a dramatised James Bond TV series, Amazon’s Prime Video released 007: Road To A Million in 2023, a game show fronted by Succession actor Brian Cox, which will return for a second series.
In 1954, CBS aired a TV adaptation of the 007 story Casino Royale, just a year after the Ian Fleming book’s release in 1953, and in 1991 Murakami-Wolf-Swenson and MGM Television launched James Bond Jr, an animated children’s TV series based on the character.
James Bond Jr followed the story of the spy’s nephew and spawned 65 episodes from September 1991 to December that year.
An array of documentaries have also been made on the film series, including Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007, and Becoming Bond, which follows the story of George Lazenby who played Bond for just one film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).
There have also been tens of Bond video games, the last in 2012, 007 Legends, which was released on PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360.
Some of the most well-known video game adaptations of the series include GoldenEye 007 (1997), 007: Nightfire (2002) and From Russia With Love (2005), which allowed players to play as Sean Connery’s version of the spy.
Author Charlie Higson has released a series of Young Bond books, starting with 2005’s SilverFin, which explore the character’s childhood. The series was continued by Steve Cole in 2014, with Shoot To Kill picking up from Higson’s last novel By Royal Command (2008).
ABOUT
AMAZON STUDIOS
Amazon MGM Studios, formerly Amazon Studios, is an American film and television production and distribution studio owned by Amazon. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on October 4, 2023 after its merger with MGM Holdings, which Amazon had acquired the year prior.
Productions from this studio, as of September 2023, are primarily distributed through movie theaters under the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) label and Amazon's own streaming media service, Amazon Prime Video.
Alongside Amazon Prime Video, the company constitutes one half of Amazon's membership in the Motion Picture Association (MPA), which it joined on October 1, 2024.
HISTORY
Scripts for television and films used to be submitted online to Amazon and read by staff; however, the website states they no longer accept submissions. Amazon aimed to review submitted scripts within 90 days (although the process may be longer). If a project was chosen for development, the writer was paid $10,000. If a developed script was selected for distribution as a full-budget movie, the creator was paid $200,000; if it was selected for distribution as a full-budget series, the creator was paid $55,000 as well as "up to 5 percent of Amazon's net receipts from toy and t-shirt licensing, and other royalties and bonuses."
In 2008, Amazon expanded into film production, producing the film The Stolen Child with 20th Century Fox. In July 2015, Amazon announced it had acquired Spike Lee's new film, Chi-Raq, as its first Amazon Original Movie.
In 2010, Amazon Studios started allowing people to submit screenplays, which Amazon Studios and its customers would vote on. The top scriptwriters were told that they would earn cash prizes. This was named as "the scientific studio" by Jeff Bezos. This program stopped eight years later as submitted scripts were of low quality.
Amazon Studios also released its only comic-book series, Blackburn Burrow, in 2012 as a free download. It contained a survey allowing Amazon to collect feedback to determine whether or not it was worthwhile to make the comic into a film.
Amazon Studios had received more than 10,000 feature screenplay submissions as of September 2012 and 2,700 television pilots as of March 2013; 23 films and 26 television series were in active development as of March 2013. In late 2016, it reorganized its film division into Prime Movies.
On July 27, 2017, it was announced that, starting with the December 2017 release Wonder Wheel, Amazon Studios would be its own self-distributing company. Previously, Amazon Studios had relied on multiple external studios to distribute their projects. The company also acquired global TV rights to The Lord of the Rings for $250 million. However, Amazon still has external distribution clients outside of the United States, such as Elevation Pictures in Canada, as well as Warner Bros. and StudioCanal in the United Kingdom and France.
In April 2018, Amazon Studios announced that they would no longer accept open submissions of screenplays to limit the filmmakers they work with to those whom the studio has established working relationships with and turn away up-and-comers from pitching their projects, deeming them as "unsolicited material" and "not notable and talented enough to work with them."
ACQUISITION OF MGM & REBRANDING 2021 TO PRESENT
In May 2021, Amazon (parent company of Amazon Studios) entered negotiations to acquire Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). On May 26, 2021, it was announced that the studio would be acquired by Amazon for $8.45 billion, subject to regulatory approval, continuing to operate as a label alongside Amazon Studios and Amazon Prime Video. Amazon will continue to partner with United Artists Releasing (MGM and Annapurna Pictures' joint distribution venture), which will continue to operate and release MGM titles theatrically "on a case-by-case basis."
In August 2021, it was reported that Steven Prinz signed an overall TV deal and a first-look deal with the studio. In September 2021, it was reported that Brian Otaño had signed a deal with Amazon Studios. Also in September, Eddie Murphy had signed a first-look film deal with Amazon Studios.
In January 2022, Westbrook signed a multi-year first-look deal with Amazon Studios. That same month, Amazon Studios signed a ten-figure deal with 87North Productions.
In November 2022, it was announced that Jennifer Salke, in addition to Amazon Studios, will be given full control of MGM's film and television divisions, with Brearton stepping down as COO to become the Vice President of PVS Corporate Strategy for MGM+ and MGM Alternative Television.
In December 2022, Intrepid Pictures signed a multi-year overall television deal with Amazon
Studios. The studio is one of the largest employers in Culver City with roughly 2,700 staffing their headquarters and production
facilities. In January 2023, Critical Role Productions signed a multi-year overall television and first-look film deal with Amazon Studios.
In March 2023, it was announced in response to the decision to release Air into theaters worldwide instead of Prime Video, that Amazon had shut down United Artists Releasing and folded the distributor's operations into MGM, making Creed III the first film to be distributed by the latter studio itself under Amazon's ownership. Also in March, Joe Quesada signed an exclusive first-look deal with Amazon Studios, and the studio also signed a multi-year first-look film deal with Imagine Entertainment.
In May 2023, Amazon Studios created Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, an international film and television distribution unit for Amazon and MGM projects. The distributor's first films were Saltburn, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2023, Sitting in Bars with Cake, which was released on Prime Video on September 8, 2023, and A Million Miles Away which was released on Prime Video on September 15, 2023, all 3 films were released through the MGM banner. On October 4, 2023, Pablo Iacoviello, the studio's director of monetization for local originals, announced at the TV forum Iberseries & Platino Industria in Madrid that Amazon Studios would merge with MGM Holdings and would be renamed to Amazon MGM Studios itself to reflect this. This would also result in the on-screen 2016 animated Amazon Studios logo designed by Monster Creative being retired, with all film productions going forward, as of September 2023, opening with the 2021 MGM Leo the Lion logo designed by Baked Studios.
In December 2023, Amazon MGM Studios secured a deal with Games Workshop, the creator of Warhammer 40,000, to adapt its characters and stories for film and television. The agreement, involving British actor Henry Cavill as an executive producer and actor, enables Amazon MGM to produce Warhammer 40,000 themed movies and TV shows. In January 2024, Amazon announced hundreds of layoffs across Amazon MGM Studios, Prime Video and Twitch in order to "prioritize our investments for the long-term success of our business, while relentlessly focusing on what we know matters most to our customers," according to Mike Hopkins. In March 2024, beginning with the Prime Video release of the remake of Road House, Amazon MGM Studios kicked off the centennial anniversary celebration of the founding of MGM with a "100 Years" logo variant appearing on all films produced and released by the studio throughout the year.
In April 2024, Amazon MGM, in collaboration with Fandango at Home, Rotten Tomatoes and iTunes, offered customers a "100 Essential Movies" bundle of 100 films from the MGM library as part of the studio's centennial for a limited time. That same month, they signed a three-year first-look deal with Jake Gyllenhaal's Nine Stories Productions banner, for which they will have a first look on films the latter company intends to produce for theatrical and streaming releases, including a film adaptation of the musical Fun Home.
In July 2024, the company announced the revival of United Artists after more than a decade of dormancy as a label, entering a multi-year partnership with Scott Stuber, former Chief of Film at Netflix and Vice Chairman at Universal Pictures. Under the deal, Stuber will produce films under his newly formed production company for United Artists, with Stuber involved with all projects released by the freshly revived banner.
In September 2024, it was announced that Amazon MGM and Prime Video would join the MPA as its seventh member starting October 1, the second non-studio to do so after Netflix in 2019; this would also mark a return to the MPA for MGM after it lost membership in 2005 following a buyout led by Sony Pictures.
On February 20, 2025, Amazon MGM and Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of Eon Productions announced its intentions to form a joint venture to manage the franchise rights to James Bond. Following the closing of the transaction, Amazon MGM would have full creative control over the Bond rights.
ACCOLADES
In 2015, Transparent was the first show produced by Amazon Studios to win a major award and the first show produced by a streaming media service to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (a.k.a. "Golden Globe for Best Series").
In 2017, for Manchester by the Sea, Amazon Studios became the first streaming media service to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture; the film was nominated for a total of six Academy Awards, winning two: Best Actor for Casey Affleck and Best Original Screenplay for Kenneth Lonergan.
The film The Salesman (2016) won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film; it was directed by Asghar Farhadi and distributed in the US by Amazon Studios.
In 2018, the period comedy-drama television series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, starring Rachel Brosnahan, won two Golden Globe Awards (Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Musical or Comedy for Brosnahan) and five Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Brosnahan.
United Artists Releasing's Women Talking earned a nomination for Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards and won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
In 2023, Orion Pictures' American Fiction earned Amazon MGM Studios its first win for the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival following the studio's rebrand. The film went on to receive five nominations at the 96th Academy Awards; including Best Picture, and won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
You
may have noticed that many blockbusters are no longer funded by the Legacy
Studios in Hollywood, California.
This
is an A to Z listing of some of the best film making companies on
planet
earth, in our opinion.
AMAZON
MGM - PRIME VIDEO & 007 JAMES BOND FRANCHISE
ALLIANCE
FILMS - ENTERTAINMENT ONE
ALLIED
ARTISTS
AMBLIN
ENTERTAINMENT
ANCHOR
BAY ENTERTAINMENT
BONA
FILM GROUP
CAPTIVATE
ENTERTAINMENT LLC
CENTROPOLIS
ENTERTAINMENT
COLUMBIA
PICTURES
DAVIS
ENTERTAINMENT
DIMENSION
FILMS
HOLLYWOOD
PICTURES
LIONSGATE
MILLENIUM
MIRAMAX
MGM
NETFLIX
ORIGINAL
FILM PRODUCTION
PARAMOUNT
PICTURES
PERFECT
WORLD PICTURES
RELATIVITY
MEDIA
SILVER
SCREEN PARTNERS
SKYDANCE
MEDIA
SONY
PICTURES
TOUCHSTONE
PICTURES
TRISTAR
PICTURES
TWENTIETH
CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION
UNITED
ARTISTS
UNIVERSAL
PICTURES
WALT
DISNEY PICTURES
WARNER
BROS PICTURES
LINKS
& REFERENCE
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/movies/what-does-the-amazon-mgm-studios-deal-mean-for-the-james-bond-series/ar-AA1zsO7F
https://www.007.com/amazon-mgm-studios-announces-new-joint-venture-with-michael-g-wilson-and-barbara-broccoli/
https://press.amazonmgmstudios.com/us/en
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/amazon-prime-video-mgm-studios-mpa-1236006823/
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/movies/amazon-will-try-and-dominate-entire-year-with-bond-franchises-says-author/ar-AA1zOJsv
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/movies/what-does-the-amazon-mgm-studios-deal-mean-for-the-james-bond-series/ar-AA1zsO7F
https://www.007.com/amazon-mgm-studios-announces-new-joint-venture-with-michael-g-wilson-and-barbara-broccoli/
https://press.amazonmgmstudios.com/us/en
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/amazon-prime-video-mgm-studios-mpa-1236006823/
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/movies/amazon-will-try-and-dominate-entire-year-with-bond-franchises-says-author/ar-AA1zOJsv
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