There is a new figure threatening James Bond, but unfortunately, he will not be as easy to beat as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, because Amazon MGM Studios, under Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, now owns the rights to Ian Fleming’s James Bond—and fans are split.
Chief among their concerns is that Amazon will milk the franchise dry, diluting its legacy with poorly received spin-offs as many believe it did when it bought the rights to The Lord of the Rings, or as Disney has been accused of doing with Star Wars.
However, if Amazon can resist the urge to tinker, it could be the boost that the franchise needs. Let’s consider how it could avoid another Rings of Power and what exactly a storied franchise like Bond requires.
Amazon franchise forays
First, how has Amazon handled its other big franchises? The title that keeps coming up in online discussions is Rings of Power, Amazon’s big-budget foray into the world of Tolkien. There was understandable concern before it aired from die-hard fans worried that Amazon would struggle to adapt their favorite stories. The company has done little to assuage these concerns. Both seasons of the show were poorly received by fans and had little to no impact after airing.
But other franchises have been more successful. Fallout had a big existing fan base when Amazon bought the rights. There were concerns around this series, too, but upon launch, it received acclaim from critics and most fans. The same can be said for The Boys and Reacher, though both had less fervent fanbases to begin with.
This tells us that Amazon can do it right; it all depends on the creatives in control behind the scenes and their handling of the material.
Nobody does it better?
James Bond is not like other franchises. It has been a family business since its inception in 1961, overseen first by Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and then by Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother, Michael G. Wilson. This control ensured quality and stability over six decades, turning James Bond into an icon and the fifth highest-grossing movie series of all time. Aside from the odd misstep (such as Diamonds Are Forever), the series has remained consistent, releasing 25 films over the past 63 years.
However, under the tenure of the junior Broccoli and Wilson, there was a determination to avoid oversaturating the franchise. During this time, James Bond did not have spin-offs, there was very little in the way of merchandise, and the series has vanished from the video game market in recent years. The pair worked to ensure that a Bond film was an event to celebrate, a welcome change in the era of sprawling cinematic universes.
But now they have stepped away, and Amazon has full creative control. Whether they continue with this ‘less is more’ approach is unknown, though ultimately, there is a middle ground. James Bond should not become like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with a new film every six months, but they could be more often. There were seven years between Spectre and No Time To Die, and it has already been four years since the latter, with radio silence on any casting or plot details on the next film.
The world is not enough
Amazon could help to promote Bond. It just needs to ignore its worst instincts and avoid diluting the franchise. But the evidence is stacked against it.
Aside from its uneven handling of other franchises in the past, Amazon’s 2023 dire Bond-themed reality show 007: Road to a Million is a worrying look at the future. And this was produced before it had the rights.
With full creative control, it really could go either way. A return to gaming would be a boon, as would releasing the entire back catalogue onto its streaming service in glorious 4K. But Amazon is a greedy corporation. For Jeff Bezos, perhaps the Bond family motto stands true: The World Is Not Enough.
