EoN sells up - Amazon MGM to produce 007 going forwards (Steven Knight to Write)

007HallY

mtm wrote: »

007HallY wrote: »

I can easily imagine an original plan where EON were there in more of an advisory position (think EON consulting for the new First Light game) with the intention of passing Bond creatively onto producers at Amazon in the way they eventually did. Obviously there were too many creative disputes, but it's interesting that Amazon have gone the route they have done subsequently.

That's a really interesting thought, yeah; that may well have been the situation that WSJ was reporting on without knowing it.

And as has been commented on before, there's even something about Heyman and Pascal which have the whiff of being Broccoli-approved, or suggested, appointees. And that may well have smoothed the troubles the WSJ article reported on.

It would make sense. I mean, as you pointed out there was clearly some sort of transition going on around this time anyway. And for much of 2022-23 MGW and BB seem to make use of interviews and awards to voice pretty clear creative stuff about the cinematic James Bond (ie. the ideal age of a new actor, the need for these films to be contemporary/cinematic releases, that for better or for worse they are 'custodians of the franchise' etc). It can almost be seen as a sort of public campaign for the future direction of Bond.

Again, I think it'll be a while before the background of this stuff comes out. Possibly in a book or in-depth podcast. But it brings a new perspective to what these people said publicly. Incidentally I doubt Amazon or EON are going to be commenting on it in-depth anytime soon (it may well be somewhat embarrassing for Amazon).

Venutius

Mallory wrote: »

Not to retread well discussed ground, but I do believe there are a number of reasons that have all contributed (not equally) to the buyout by Amazon:

- MGM wanting to retire and Barbara either wanting to move on, or not find a producing partner outside of the family (clearly, they didnt think Gregg was up to the task of taking over from MGW, or perhaps he didnt want to. All public comments suggest the former though - he was being placed to take over, but when push came to shove, they didnt want to do it for whatever reason).
- Being at a creative impass following NTTD and killing off James Bond, and struggling to find a way forward. When BB said she couldnt imagine anyone other than DC being Bond... a part of me thinks thats not just marketing guff but a genuine thought that has impacted the ability to move on.
- Failing to agree with Amazon a way forward, given their desire to exploit everything they have for Prime content.
- A shift in the power dynamics with MGM. Previously EoN held the cards - MGM needed Bond to support the wider studio. Amazon is in no such place.
- A changing cinema landscape (Streaming technology has had a huge impact, and Covid accelerated that).

All those things combined, when you're offered a billion dollars to move on and still retain a stake in any future profits (lets hope there are some)...

Yes, this all sounds plausible to me - even more so if, as others have said, there were actually indications in the background that EON themselves had wanted to move on for quite some time. It also sounds plausible that, as MTM says, the 'exit' deal allowed BB to at least influence the selection of the people that Amazon put in place to oversee what happens next.

BMB007

It's smoke and not fire, but Amazon hiring Pascal (who Broccoli respected) and Villeneuve (who Broccoli tried to hire before) is certainly a great deal of smoke that there is more going on than meets the eye!