Report reveals true price Amazon MGM paid for ‘James Bond’ creative control
A new report has revealed that Amazon MGM paid a significantly lower initial sum for creative control of the James Bond franchise than was previously thought.
In February, Amazon MGM Studios confirmed that they reached a new agreement with Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, which allows the studio to take complete creative control of the franchise.
The new joint venture agreement stated that Wilson and Broccoli were to remain co-owners of the franchise. Wilson and Broccoli’s father, Albert R Broccoli, along with Harry Saltzman, brought the Bond franchise to the screen in 1962.
Wilson said at the time that he was stepping back to “focus on art and charitable projects”, while Broccoli stated, “With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other project.”
At the time, it was reported that the deal could cost Amazon an eye-watering billion dollars. However, the new report, as shared by Deadline, suggests it was just a fraction of that.
The report shares: “On 20 February 2025, the company entered into an agreement for the sale of its interest in the Bond franchise, all associated assets as well as its subsidiary companies, B24 Limited and B25 Limited. The total consideration for the sale amounted to $20 million (USD).”
In December, a report from The Wall Street Journal alleged that Amazon had a “decayed relationship” with Broccoli. In turn, this derailed plans for a follow-up to No Time to Die. Now, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has said simply that they plan to “make great movies”.
The new backing means the studio is now in search of a new Bond. Currently, it appears that Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the favourite to take over from Daniel Craig. The likes of Harris Dickinson, Jacob Elordi, and Tom Holland have also been mentioned.
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