Amazon Takes Control of James Bond: A New Era for the Iconic Spy

After decades of outsmarting powerful billionaires plotting world domination, James Bond has finally been captured by one. On February 20th, Amazon, the global tech and retail giant, announced it had secured creative control of the iconic spy film franchise from Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, the daughter and stepson of Cubby Broccoli—who introduced Bond to the silver screen in 1962. To obtain control of the double-0 agent, Amazon is reportedly paying a nine-figure sum.

Despite being around for 60 years, the Bond film franchise remains a powerful cash machine. It has grossed roughly $21 billion in today’s money, and its latest entry, No Time to Die (2021), which was released during pandemic-era cinema conditions (complete with face masks), still managed to rake in an impressive $900 million worldwide. However, creatively, the series appears to be in a holding pattern. While Bond films once arrived every couple of years, there was a six-year gap between No Time to Die and Spectre (2015). The wait for the next Bond film could be even longer: as of now, there is still no script or confirmed actor for the lead role.

The Broccolis have long been admired by fans for their steadfast guardianship of the Bond legacy. Daniel Craig, the most recent actor to portray the spy, has commended their resistance to “the many people and organizations that have tried to put their own footprint on Bond” (without naming Amazon). However, for Amazon—who purchased MGM, the studio that holds the distribution rights to Bond, for $8.5 billion in 2022—working with the Broccolis has often felt like dealing with a real-world Dr. No. Since that high-profile acquisition, Amazon’s only new Bond-related release has been the forgettable game show 007: Road to a Million.

Now, Amazon has the freedom to fully exploit the Bond brand. A clear blueprint to follow is Disney’s success with the Star Wars universe, which it bought from George Lucas in 2012 for $4 billion. Disney has since produced five films, numerous TV spin-offs, and integrated the franchise into its theme parks. But Amazon’s track record with adapting intellectual property (IP) is more mixed. Its adaptation of The Lord of the Rings into a pricey but lukewarm TV series didn’t live up to the expectations set by its sky-high production costs. Fans of Bond are understandably concerned that Amazon could risk tarnishing the brand. For example, Amazon’s spy thriller Citadel, while costly, was widely criticized for its wooden performances and for pushing related products on its streaming platform.

Another point of concern: the casting of Bond has traditionally been a well-guarded secret, but Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos has even asked fans on social media who they think should play the iconic role.

So, why did the Broccolis give up their beloved spy to such a fate? The reasons seem to be both personal and practical. Michael Wilson, 83, plans to retire, while Barbara Broccoli, 64, still wants to make films but may have grown weary of battling Amazon, whose streaming model is at odds with the theatrical tradition that has sustained Bond for 27 films.

A longer-term factor in the decision to sell, however, is an even more powerful force than Bond’s enemies at SPECTRE: copyright law. U.S. copyright rules will keep 007 locked up until 2049, 95 years after Ian Fleming first introduced the character in his novel Casino Royale. But outside the U.S., Bond is slipping into the public domain. In Japan, the Bond novels have been in the public domain since 2015, 50 years after Fleming’s death. The country has already seen a stage production of Casino Royale in which Bond was portrayed by a female actor. In Britain, where Bond remains a national treasure, the novels will enter the public domain in 2035. When that happens, expect to see fresh interpretations of the character.

While features unique to the films, like the signature gun-barrel opening sequence and the iconic theme tune, will remain under copyright, the novels themselves are the heart of the franchise. Casino Royale introduces not just Bond, but also M, Q Branch, and the legendary shaken-not-stirred vodka martinis—everything that makes a Bond story truly Bond.

Amazon has some time to strengthen its hold on the Bond legacy. It can build a sprawling Bond cinematic universe, solidifying key roles and even creating new, copyrightable characters, making it easier to distinguish its official Bond stories from any potential rival adaptations. In the end, James Bond will eventually become a free agent, slipping out of Amazon’s grasp, ready to be claimed by another ambitious billionaire looking to make their mark on the world’s most famous spy.