Us Explains Backlash Over James Bond's Huge Shakeup
Amazon MGM Studios has taken creative control of the 'James Bond' franchise, sparking backlash from fans and a response from former 007 actor Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig as James Bond. Francois Duhamel/©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
A major shift in the James Bond franchise’s future has sent shockwaves through Hollywood.
Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson announced a “joint venture” on Thursday, February 20, that will see Amazon MGM Studios taking control over the search for the next Bond actor as well as leading production of all future films. The Bond franchise has been in a state of flux ever since Daniel Craig walked away following the release of 2021’s No Time to Die, and while there have been many rumors about who will play 007 next, a long-expected casting announcement never materialized. Now, it appears that Broccoli and Wilson will step back entirely from the search for the new Bond, leaving fans wondering if their beloved spy movies are in safe hands.
With many questions still in the air, Us Explains what we know so far about the future of James Bond:
The AnnouncementOn February 20, Hollywood reeled over the shocking news that Broccoli and her half-brother Wilson signed a “joint venture” for the Bond franchise with Amazon MGM Studios. Amazon left no mystery about who would be making decisions going forward, confirming in a press release that it would take “creative control of the James Bond franchise following closing of the transaction.”
Related: Daniel Craig Calls Filming 'Quantum of Solace' a 'Nightmare' Experience
For Daniel Craig, filming his sophomore James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, felt like a “difficult second album.” The actor, 56, opened up about his experience working on the 2008 action film in a recent interview on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast, noting that it was a “f—ing nightmare” on set due to the […]
Amazon’s takeover was particularly galling for many because Broccoli’s father and Wilson’s stepfather, Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, first gained the rights to author Ian Fleming‘s spy novels in the early 1960s in a partnership with coproducer Harry Saltzman. Cubby brought his children into the family business, before eventually turning over stewardship of Bond to them entirely after the release of 1989’s License to Kill (starring Timothy Dalton as 007). Cubby died in June 1996.
There were persistent rumors that Wilson was looking to retire from filmmaking following the release of No Time to Die, yet Barbara had been actively involved in the casting search for the new Bond actor and was expected to play a crucial role in development on the next movie. The two producers first inked a deal with Amazon in 2022 to distribute all of the James Bond films.
In a statement announcing her deal with Amazon, Barbara said her life had been “dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed” to her by her late father.
“I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects,” she said.
For his part, Wilson confirmed that he would be “stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects.”
“Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future,” he added.
The BacklashPart of the reason many James Bond fans are nervous about this change in leadership is the tone used in Amazon’s press release on February 20. Amazon MGM made it completely clear it would have “creative control” of Bond — meaning its executives would theoretically be the ones choosing the new cast, story lines and creative team.
Daniel Craig as James Bond. Francois Duhamel/©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection“Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment,” Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said. “We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide. We are honoured to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world.”
Many fans and critics have argued that Amazon could dilute James Bond by pursuing unnecessary spinoffs and streaming series. The Wall Street Journal reported that the working relationship between Barbara and Amazon MGM had been fraught in the past, including the producer allegedly dismissing Amazon executives as “f— idiots” at one point. Amazon MGM was purportedly interested in pursuing multiple TV spin-offs, potentially for M’s secretary Miss Moneypenny or a possible female Bond streaming series.
Barbara publicly pushed back against the possibility of a female Bond in 2021, telling the U.K.’s Press Agency that the character should always be male.
“James Bond is a male character. I hope that there will be many, many films made with women, for women, by women, about women,” she said. “I don’t think we have to take a male character and have a woman portray him. So yes, I see him as male. And I’m sort of in denial, I would love for Daniel to continue forever.”
The two parties collaborated on their first streaming spinoff in 2023 with 007: Road to a Million, in which Bond super-fans competed in an Amazing Race-style trek across famous locations from the novels and films. Brian Cox played a brand new Bond villain for Road to a Million, and Amazon showed confidence in the format’s future by renewing the competition show for a second season in September 2023.
There was a strong reaction to Amazon’s takeover among those close to the Broccoli family, with one confidant notified of the sale by Barbara telling Deadline the deal was like experiencing “a death in the family.”
Related: Sam Taylor-Johnson Says Husband Aaron Would Be a ‘Great’ James Bond
Sam Taylor-Johnson said husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be “great” as the next James Bond — and she has a professional stake in the prospect. During an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show set to air on Saturday, March 30, the Fifty Shades of Grey director, 57, broke her silence on rumors circulating that Aaron, 33, […]
Others close to the situation argued that Barbara’s lack of success in finding Craig’s replacement also signaled that a change in leadership was inevitable.
“I do think that it’s possible that if God had sent us a totally no-brainer Bond in the last couple of years, then it might be a different situation,” one insider admitted.
Cillian Murphy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Regé-Jean Page, Richard Madden and James Norton are among the many actors who have reportedly been in contention to replace Craig, though there’s no indication Amazon has made any decision yet on Bond’s next leading actor.
Daniel Craig’s ResponseThe most recent 007 actor responded to Amazon taking over the Bond series by ducking any controversy entirely, instead focusing on the accolades of the Broccoli family.
“My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished,” Craig told CNN in a statement. “I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well-deserved) retirement and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular and I hope I can be part of them.”
Craig publicly announced that No Time to Die would be his final outing as Bond long before the release of the film in September 2021. He spoke often about the physical and emotional toll of each Bond movie, especially as he felt he was unable to take on other substantial projects during the 15 years he played the MI6 agent.
Subscribe to newslettersPlease enter a valid email.
Deal of the Day Snag The Best-Selling Toiletry Bag Users Say is ‘Roomiest, Yet Most Organized’ Now for 29% off! View Deal
Us Weekly Shorts
“Early on with Bond, I thought I had to do other work, but I didn’t. I was becoming a star, whatever that means, and people wanted me in their films. Incredible,” he told The Sunday Times in December 2024. “Most actors are out of work for large chunks so you take your job offers — but they left me empty. Then, bottom line, I got paid. I was so exhausted at the end of a Bond it would take me six months to recover emotionally. I always had the attitude that life must come first and, when work came first for a while, it strung me out.”
Related: What Your Favorite Daniel Craig Look Says About You
When you picture Daniel Craig — and it’s totally normal if this happens a lot, you’re only human — how do you think of him? We’re guessing it might involve him wading out of the sea in a modified Speedo as James Bond in Casino Royale? But a lot has happened since 2006. It turns […]
No Time to Die left little likelihood for Craig to change his mind, as Bond was shown seemingly sacrificing his life to save his love interest Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) and her daughter from bioterrorist Lyutsifer Safin’s (Rami Malek) deadly drones.
Craig has since earned rave reviews for his performance in director Luca Guadagnino‘s 2024 period romantic drama, Queer, and will reprise his role as Detective Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, due for release on Netflix later this year.
Just For You
Elon Musk’s cost-cutting team is eliminating jobs at the vehicle safety agency that oversees Tesla and has launched investigations into deadly crashes involving his company's cars.
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Bannon was accused of making a "gesture referring to Nazi ideology" by a French nationalist leader.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
KSI will be serving as a guest judge during the audtion process of the ITV talent show
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
One Britain's Got Talent contestant is set to shock viewers on Saturday night
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Hooters closed approximately 40 locations last year and owes $300 million in asset backed bonds
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The New York Yankees lost their overall No. 6 prospect, and second-ranked pitcher, for the entire 2025 season on Friday, ending hopes that the promising young hurler would see the Yankee Stadium mound this season.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Darts prodigy and die-hard Manchester United fan Luke Littler was faced with an impossible decision. Littler admitted that if he had to choose, he’d rather see is beloved Warrington Wolves lift the…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Lynne Marie Stewart, the actress known for roles in Pee-wee's Playhouse and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has died. She was 78.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The US president fires CQ Brown without providing a reason and also announced replacement of five top officers.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Lynne Marie Stewart, a veteran character actress known for her roles on Pee-wee's Playhouse and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has died at the age of 78.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
'Severance' stars John Turturro and Christopher Walken unpack that tense dinner scene and discuss working together as longtime friends.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A BRITAIN’S Got Talent child star looks unrecognisable after ditching fame. 16 years ago, Ronan Parke shot to superstardom at just 12 years of age – and now he looks totally different a…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Britain's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell admitted he hadn't recognised himself and his son Eric had been 'in hysterics'
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A BRITAIN’S Got Talent child star looks unrecognisable after ditching fame. 16 years ago, Ronan Parke shot to superstardom at just 12 years of age – and now he looks totally different a…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Democratic lawmakers and retired military officers expressed concern about the politicization of the military under President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.