The household that controls the James Bond film franchise reportedly refuses to present Amazon the go-ahead to make one other movie resulting from severe disagreements over the route of the sequence — together with one proposal for a TV spinoff centered on a feminine 007.
Barbara Broccoli — the 64-year-old daughter of the late Queens native Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, the movie producer who acquired the rights to the famed spy created by British novelist Ian Fleming — has been at odds with Amazon execs ever for the reason that e-retail big acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for $8.5 billion in March 2022, in response to the Wall Street Journal.
Her dissatisfaction with Amazon has reached the purpose the place she is prepared to carry the movie “hostage” and delay the discharge of a brand new Bond sequel, the Journal reported.
“These individuals are f–king idiots,” Broccoli reportedly advised pals when describing executives at Amazon.
There hasn’t been a Bond movie in three years, one of many longest dry spells for the reason that franchise was launched with “Dr. No” in 1962.
Broccoli maintains a good grip on 007, approving every little thing from scripts to who would be the subsequent Bond after Daniel Craig hung up the famed tuxedo within the final movie, “No Time to Die.”
Amazon executives have proposed plenty of concepts to money in on the Bond model for its Prime Video service, together with a by-product that includes Miss Moneypenny, the secretary of MI6 spy chief M.
There was even speak of casting a feminine to play the following 007, in addition to extra various choices that would come with homosexual or black main males.
Broccoli shot down the concept of a feminine Bond, although she’s not against having a homosexual or nonwhite actor star within the position, in response to the Journal.
She does insist that the whoever fills his sneakers is a Brit.
Broccoli runs Eon Productions, the London-based store that produces the Bond movies, alongside her 82-year-old stepbrother Michael Wilson.
The relationship between the Broccoli household and Amazon is a conflict of two worlds — one rooted in old-school, twentieth century film-making “from the intestine” whereas the opposite is steeped in tech-centric reliance on algorithms and streaming statistics, in response to the Journal.
Broccoli and Wilson are additionally mentioned to be upset that they’ve had a tough time touchdown a gathering with senior Amazon executives — a far cry from the times when MGM head honchos have been readily accessible to them, in response to the Journal.
The Post has sought remark from Eon and Amazon.
Broccoli is reported to have a tense relationship with Jennifer Salke, a former NBCUniversal govt who was introduced in to run Amazon Studios in 2018.
According to the Journal, Broccoli was irked when Salke referred to the James Bond sequence as “content material” that the corporate wished to supply the general public.
A pal of Broccoli’s advised the Journal that utilizing a sterile time period akin to “content material” was like a “loss of life knell” to her since she views Bond as a sacred household heirloom.
Since Amazon purchased MGM, the corporate has produced only one Bond-related product — a actuality tv present titled “007: Road to a Million” the place groups compete in spy-themed challenges.
The present has prompted dialogue inside Amazon about Bond and its place in fashionable society.
A male spy who makes use of violence to attain his goals whereas being a womanizer is seemingly an excessive amount of for some Amazon staff, considered one of which is reported to have mentioned throughout a method assembly: “I’ve to be sincere. I don’t suppose James Bond is a hero.”
Mike Hopkins, who heads the Prime Video enterprise, has reportedly advised associates he’s assured he can win Broccoli’s belief.
