007 franchise sold to Amazon including creative control

[Felinx]

Awful news.
https://variety.com/2025/film/global/james-bond-amazon-mgm-gain-creative-control-1236313930/

Oh, come on - look how the Star Wars franchise has blossomed after being sold from individual creative control to a global entertainment conglomerate.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Kind of the reverse of the Spockian: to save the many, sacrifice the one

 

[HanFiredFirst]

Hard to see how cold war Bond would resonate with a contemporary audience. The villain needs to be the villain-of-the-moment imo. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a lot of retro fun, but I couldn't see a franchise pulling it off.

I entirely disagree - the 50s and 60s can be exciting, sexy, sassy, gritty, rather than just token "retro" - think of Catch Me if You Can, A Single Man, Bridge of Spies, Fly Me to the Moon, &c. The huge success of Mad Men proves people love the era.

Bond without access to mobile phones and smart tech is a Bond who has to fend for himself, rather than calling in an air raid. And 'Villains-of-the-moment' - well, I contend that Lyutsifer Safin (who the f*** gave the nod to that name) was instantly forgettable, and I'd struggle to name many of the Bond villains from the latter films, as compared to the likes of Scaramanga, Auric Goldfinger, Blofeld, who all originated in the books, but were hardly of the moment, being hired assassins, thieves &c. Those who were of the moment are the ones who normally didn't resonate or work - the wonderful Jonathan Pryce playing the woeful Elliot Carver springs to mind. I pray that we don't get a Melon Usk based villain.

The Cold War doesn't have to be the main story in Bond - and it often wasn't - but the 50s and 60s with the gorgeous fashion and sartorial elegance (think of Cary Grant's suit in North by Northwest, or Sean Connery's Bond leaning against the DB5), coupled with exotic locations (before they became tourist traps), and you have a whole world to explore that isn't dominated by technology and instant resolution. If you like tech warfare then that's amply catered for with Jack Ryan, or Jason Bourne - Bond has the chance to be reborn back into his own era.

 

[crows]

• Rumors and speculation
  • In March 2022, Aaron Taylor-Johnson reportedly screen tested for the role at Pinewood Studios with Barbara Broccoli, the head of Bond.
    
    
  • In March 2024, The Sun reported that Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been offered the role and was expected to accept.
  • Other actors who have been considered for the role include:
    
    Henry Cavill, Paul Mescal, James Norton, Dev Patel, Damson Idris, Callum Turner, Theo James, and Cillian Murphy.

 

[HanFiredFirst]

• Rumors and speculation
  • In March 2022, Aaron Taylor-Johnson reportedly screen tested for the role at Pinewood Studios with Barbara Broccoli, the head of Bond.
    
    
  • In March 2024, The Sun reported that Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been offered the role and was expected to accept.
  • Other actors who have been considered for the role include:
    
    Henry Cavill, Paul Mescal, James Norton, Dev Patel, Damson Idris, Callum Turner, Theo James, and Cillian Murphy.

Aside from the fact that absolutely nothing reported by "The Sun" should be given any credence, ever, all of the above is simply the usual type of rumour around the casting of James Bond. Rarely, if ever, have the pundits got it right.

 

[Bravomite]

Modern times bond doesn't work. Cinema audiences are too global now and for that reason the stories won't actual revolve around real conflicts like US v China or Europe v Russia etc. Too much money supposedly left on the table by alienating an audience. That's why it's better to set in the past because you can have the cold War / post world war 2 setting - people are more detached from it plus it often involved different 'regimes'.

But that doesn't mean to say it's not relevant. There has been a cold war going on between US and its allies and China and their allies for a long time now and US have been fighting proxy wars in Ukraine and Gaza. With a new government in the US the global political landscape is shifting to resemble more pre-ww2 with US isolationism and a potential arms race in Europe etc. My point is that we can use the setting of the past to tell Bond stories that will resonate with a modern audience because they might just pick up on the similarities / commentary that can be applied to current events.

 

[jye4ever]

Modern times bond doesn't work. Cinema audiences are too global now and for that reason the stories won't actual revolve around real conflicts like US v China or Europe v Russia etc. Too much money supposedly left on the table by alienating an audience. That's why it's better to set in the past because you can have the cold War / post world war 2 setting - people are more detached from it plus it often involved different 'regimes'.

But that doesn't mean to say it's not relevant. There has been a cold war going on between US and its allies and China and their allies for a long time now and US have been fighting proxy wars in Ukraine and Gaza. With a new government in the US the global political landscape is shifting to resemble more pre-ww2 with US isolationism and a potential arms race in Europe etc. My point is that we can use the setting of the past to tell Bond stories that will resonate with a modern audience because they might just pick up on the similarities / commentary that can be applied to current events.

 

[crows]

Aside from the fact that absolutely nothing reported by "The Sun" should be given any credence, ever, all of the above is simply the usual type of rumour around the casting of James Bond. Rarely, if ever, have the pundits got it right.

it's not just the Sun but I've seen Aaron Taylor's name being mentioned from other sources online.

are you pleased with this rumor milord ?

 

[Mr.E]

Fruitless to say it at this point, but they should have taken a decade-long break from the franchise and the character. Give it a rest. A reset. Alas. Money talks. That's all that matters...

 

[HanFiredFirst]

it's not just the Sun but I've seen Aaron Taylor's name being mentioned from other sources online.

are you pleased with this rumor milord ?

It's a rumour, no more. He wouldn't be my first choice - you've already asked me who I'd choose.

 

[crows]

It's a rumour, no more. He wouldn't be my first choice - you've already asked me who I'd choose.

but how pleased will you be with him? is Aaron a good choice?

 

[jye4ever]

Honestly I can’t really blame Amazon.

They paid a lot of money for MGM and then come to find out that all that money still didn’t buy all of Bond, good play Barbara and Michael.

They still had to pony up an additional 1.5 billion for what they already owned lol

Hey look on the bright side Amazon it’s still 3 1/2 billion less than what Disney paid for SW!

Besides look how great Rings of Power ended up being….

 

[crows]

Honestly I can’t really blame Amazon.

They paid a lot of money for MGM and then come to find out that all that money still didn’t buy all of Bond!

They still had to pony up an additional 1.5 billion for what they already owned lol

Hey look on the bright side Amazon it’s still 3 1/2 billion less than what Disney paid for SW!

Besides look how great Rings of Power ended up being….

View attachment 759612

if they handle bond like they did Reacher or Jack Ryan, then there's good hope for something good for hope.
we can hope to have good hope for something good like the terminal list which was also very good to have hope for.

 

[HanFiredFirst]

Modern times bond doesn't work. Cinema audiences are too global now and for that reason the stories won't actual revolve around real conflicts like US v China or Europe v Russia etc. Too much money supposedly left on the table by alienating an audience. That's why it's better to set in the past because you can have the cold War / post world war 2 setting - people are more detached from it plus it often involved different 'regimes'.

But that doesn't mean to say it's not relevant. There has been a cold war going on between US and its allies and China and their allies for a long time now and US have been fighting proxy wars in Ukraine and Gaza. With a new government in the US the global political landscape is shifting to resemble more pre-ww2 with US isolationism and a potential arms race in Europe etc. My point is that we can use the setting of the past to tell Bond stories that will resonate with a modern audience because they might just pick up on the similarities / commentary that can be applied to current events.

Agreed. Setting it in the 50s/60s gives the films a timeless appeal - it doesn't have to suffer from the embarrassment of being outdated when tech moves on - think of the later Bond films where Q branch came up with whizz-bang tech that was already obsolete by the time it hit the cinema. It's so short-sighted, so creatively stunted, to want Bond to be just another tech savvy MI6 functionary with HR breathing down his neck.

I'm also fed up of Bond being anachronistic - to the point where he's apologised for, explained away as "A sexist, misogynist dinosaur... a Cold War relic" by his own boss - well, that's because that's exactly what he is! Tautology aside (sexist and misogynistic?) he is a Cold War relic, stop trying to shoehorn him into a world where you can't have a (couple of) Martinis at lunchtime and Turkish cigarettes by the dozen. M, apologising for what Bond is, what Bond has to be - grrrr.

 

[Khev]

Daniel Craig is dead last in my favourite Bond list.

Craig Bond was ruined the moment the girl confessed to be being a scarred former sex slave and then the very next scene he corners her while she's taking a shower and has his way with her.

Oh yeah, then he gets her killed like two scenes after that.

 

[crows]

Agreed. Setting it in the 50s/60s gives the films a timeless appeal - it doesn't have to suffer from the embarrassment of being outdated when tech moves on - think of the later Bond films where Q branch came up with whizz-bang tech that was already obsolete by the time it hit the cinema. It's so short-sighted, so creatively stunted, to want Bond to be just another tech savvy MI6 functionary with HR breathing down his neck.

I'm also fed up of Bond being anachronistic - to the point where he's apologised for, explained away as "A sexist, misogynist dinosaur... a Cold War relic" by his own boss - well, that's because that's exactly what he is! Tautology aside (sexist and misogynistic?) he is a Cold War relic, stop trying to shoehorn him into a world where you can't have a (couple of) Martinis at lunchtime and Turkish cigarettes by the dozen. M, apologising for what Bond is, what Bond has to be - grrrr.

why is secret government agent having so much sex while on the job, that's just unprofessional. and dangerous. those women could be enemy spies. besides how often does he have to get tested. and does his job covers any negative consequences from it?

 

[HanFiredFirst]

why is secret government agent having so much sex while on the job, that's just unprofessional. and dangerous. those women could be enemy spies. besides how often does he have to get tested. and does his job covers any negative consequences from it?

I can only recommend you read the books. "So much sex while on the job" is a legacy of the movies rather than the books, which tend to feature relationships with women, rather than the casual sex of the films.

 

[jye4ever]

why is secret government agent having so much sex while on the job, that's just unprofessional. and dangerous. those women could be enemy spies. besides how often does he have to get tested. and does his job covers any negative consequences from it?

Because 60s/70s….

 

[crows]

I can only recommend you read the books. "So much sex while on the job" is a legacy of the movies rather than the books, which tend to feature relationships with women, rather than the casual sex of the films.

Because 60s/70s….

i was just reminded of this, because you know it's gonna be a problem

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/oct/25/gen-z-less-sex-tv-movie-trend

 

[HanFiredFirst]

i was just reminded of this, because you know it's gonna be a problem

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/oct/25/gen-z-less-sex-tv-movie-trend

You seem a bit obsessed with the sex bit - it was a small part of the books, and "sexy" doesn't mean gratuitous sex scenes.

I'm also going to go out on a limb and say that I don't actually give a flying figleaf what this tiny study of 1500 American 16-24 year olds wants.