We do not yet know his face, nor if Daniel Craig’s successor will be a man, but one thing is certain: the new (or new) 007 will now be in the service of the King, after the death of Elizabeth II. “We are just starting our relationship with Amazon”, which bought the rights to the franchise from the MGM studio., said Barbara Broccoli, the historical producer of the adventures of the spy with the legendary phlegm. “We haven’t started discussing the next movie yet..”
Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother, Michael Wilson, were invited on Wednesday September 21 to leave their footprints in the cement in front of the illustrious Chinese Theater in Los Angeles. Tribute from the profession for their contribution to Hollywood. The opportunity for them to maintain the mystery about the future of James Bond: since Dying can wait in 2021, Daniel Craig’s final act, which shook up the character considerably, speculation is rife about his succession.
“We are not going to rest on our laurels and keep the same formula“, assured Barbara Broccoli, heiress of the franchise of her father Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, the producer who began to adapt the novels of Ian Fleming to the screen 60 years ago. The choice of Daniel Craig, to embody a blond 007 and much rougher than his predecessors, had initially created controversy.But the five films made during his mission set box office records: the opus Sky Fall notably generated more than a billion dollars in 2012.
To replace it, everything seems possible. Could James Bond be embodied by the first black actor in the franchise, as some fans wish? Or could a woman put on her costume, as the producer has already hinted? Barbara Brocoli maintains the suspense: “there are certain immutable elementsin this spy saga, she pointed out.The main character of James Bond is the most important element of the films and we believe he is incorruptible, serving the Queen, and now King and country.“
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The character “nothing to gain from a personal point of view. He’s in it ’cause he tryna make the world safer“, she added. “I think that’s something we won’t change.“But her father, Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, who created the franchise 60 years ago, always pushed the producer.”to take risks so that Bond can change over time“.As heirs,”we like to try things, sometimes it works, sometimes not, but it keeps us innovative“.
Eon, the Broccoli family company, has managed to retain significant control over the adventures of the secret agent, star of 25 films so far. Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have presided over the cinematic destiny of 007 since GoldenEye, released in 1995, a year before their father died. Historically, Eon shared the profits of the franchise with the MGM studio, which had signed a complex agreement to have the right to finance and distribute the films.
But MGM was acquired by Amazon in March for $8.5 billion. And concerning James Bond, it is no longer the legendary studio that is in control, but the tech giant, which has launched its own streaming platform. Amazon Prime Video has already announced plans to produce a reality TV show themed around Her Majesty’s Most Faithful Servant, titled 007’s Road to a Million.
“The public has certain expectations. But he also likes to be surprised. So it’s fully part of our effort“, estimated for his part Michael Wilson, wishing that Bond adapts to the challenges of today’s world. “What will be the worries of the world in two or three years? How can we stay up to date?“, he wondered. “We cannot offer the same thing over and over again.“
Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are inducted into the TCL Chinese Theatre’s Forecourt of the Stars in Hollywood.
#60yearsofBond pic.twitter.com/dVecLK78JD—James Bond (@007) September 21, 2022