Dying can wait (directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga), released in 2021, closed a narrative arc in the James Bond franchise, one of the longest in the series. It also marked the departure of Daniel Craig, who put away the jacket of the most famous spy in the 7th art.
Since then, fans of the adventures of 007 have remained hungry: if the releases of feature films have been spaced out for several years, there is no indication of a return in the coming months. Of course, the search for a new actor to don the Bond tuxedo always takes a little time… But the hiatus this time would be linked to production issues, according to the Wall Street Journal…
Family management
Imagined by the British writer Ian Fleming (1908-1964), James Bond experienced numerous adventures through books and short stories, before entering the cinema. The character first appeared in Casino Royale (1953), and Fleming traveled with him until his death, ending his career with Octopussy and The Living Daylightsa collection of short stories published posthumously in 1966.
It was in 1961 that Fleming sold the rights to adapt the novels featuring James Bond to producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli, united through the company Eon Productions. The second had persuaded the first to share the rights, guaranteeing him in exchange access to powerful production companies: this was United Artists.
After the success of the first film, James Bond 007 vs. Dr. No (1962), Saltzman and Broccoli upped the ante, secured their control of the character in the cinema and granted themselves oversight and veto rights over adaptations. If Saltzman subsequently lost himself in unsuccessful investments, Broccoli remained focused on Bond and his cinematic life.
When he died in 1996, he made sure to keep the cinematic James Bond within the family circle, passing the baton to his daughter, Barbara Broccoli, and his stepson, Michael Wilson. Both in turn apply the proven recipe: maintaining control over production, while also defending comfortable family percentages on feature film receipts…
Broccoli sees red
The takeover of Amazon by MGM, in 2021, took place as the last film in the current narrative arc, Dying can waitwas preparing to hit global screens. By acquiring the historic Hollywood studio and its catalog, Amazon took a new step in the audiovisual sector, with some wartime prizes, including James Bond.
But the American multinational would not fit in well with the expectations of the Broccoli/Wilson duo: according to the Wall Street Journal, Barbara Broccoli would have explained to friends that “[c]people are complete idiots» — speaking of Amazon executives. During the fall of 2024, she would have indicated to several sources consulted by the American newspaper that the next Bond film had neither script, nor screenplay, nor interpreter for the main character.
In short, the franchise would be at a standstill, on the verge of going into reverse. In addition to the difficult relations with the multinational, Barbara Broccoli would take a dim view of the association of the elegant British spy with a seller of everyday products…
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Finally, the multiple film projects and spin-off series that Amazon would consider, particularly for its own distribution platform Amazon Prime Video, would not have convinced the producer duo either. The firm would have proposed a series on Moneypenny, a recurring female character in the franchise, and another derivative film or series, without success. The only validated project, since the takeover, would ultimately be 007: On the Road to the Milliona reality TV show, broadcast since November 2023 on Prime Video.
Photography: Daniel Craig, who played James Bond between 2006 and 2021
By Antoine Oury
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