(Left) Amy Pascal arrives at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton on Monday, February 12, 2024. The 96th Oscars will air on Sunday, March 10, 2024 live on ABC. Credit/Provider: Mike Baker / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S. (Right) David Heyman at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton on Monday, February 12, 2024. The 96th Oscars will air on Sunday, March 10, 2024 live on ABC. Credit/Provider: Mike Baker / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
Preview:
- Amazon has officially hired producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman to oversee the Bond franchise.
- They’ll replace longtime shepherds Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
- It follows the company securing creative control over the spy movie.
Forget M and Q, now we know a little bit more about who will be guiding Ian Fleming’s super-spy James Bond in future endeavors.
Following the recent change in Bond creative ownership (get all the details below), Amazon/MGM Studios has officially set powerhouse producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman to oversee the Bond franchise on screens big and (if Amazon has its way) small.
The news confirms rumors first floated by reporter Jeff Sneider, who brought word that Amazon was looking to bring in two giant producing veterans to steer the Bond movies.
“Everyone has a past. Every legend has a beginning.”
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Pascal, of course, already has Bond bona fides (Bonda fides?), as when she served as Sony’s chairman of film, she oversaw the release and distribution of the likes of ‘Casino Royale,’ ‘Quantum of Solace,’ ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Spectre,’ which are among the most successful movies featuring the character.
She’s also been a key part of the ‘Spider-Man’ franchise and holds a wealth of experience bringing big movies to screens.
As for Heyman, he has a little franchise called ‘Harry Potter’ to his credit, one of the most successful movie series of all time. He’s also worked on a variety of other projects, including the ‘Paddington’ movies.
Related Article: Amazon MGM Studios Takes Creative Control of James Bond Franchise as Producers Step Back
New Bond Producers: The Studio and Team Speak
Producer Amy Pascal attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Challengers’ at Regency Village Theatre on April 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios.
Here’s what Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of Film, Courtenay Valenti had to say about the new recruits:
“We are approaching every creative decision with James Bond, which Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have so masterfully steered, with the greatest sense of responsibility. Part of an elite group of producers who have developed and managed massive film franchises to box office success and critical acclaim, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are two of the most accomplished, experienced, and respected film producers in our industry. We are honored to be working with them on James Bond’s next chapter and are excited to deliver to global audiences storytelling that upholds the impeccable legacy of this beloved character.”
And this was the statement from Pascal and Heyman:
“James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema. We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson who made so many extraordinary films and honored and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure.”
What happened with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson?
Daniel Craig as James Bond in ‘Casino Royale.’
In a shocking turn of events, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the longtime stalwart step-sibling powerhouse producers behind the last couple of decades of Bond films, relinquished control of the franchise and handed more creative decision-making to Amazon MGM studios.
It was perhaps not as surprising as it might have seemed, though: In 2022, Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion, acquiring a vast catalog with more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows alongside the rights to distribute all of the James Bond films and to develop spin-offs (such as the frankly less-than thrilling reality competition show ‘007: Road to a Million,’ which saw Bond fans answering trivia questions –– posed by Brian Cox, no less –– in search of cash prizes).
But a key part of that deal was that the producers kept creative control of the character, deciding on who would play the main role, hiring directors and other key choices, while stopping ideas they didn’t approve of.
Yet it has seemed as though the pair were in something of a creative downbeat following the departure of Daniel Craig as Bond, with the character killed off in 2021’s ‘No Time to Die’ and little sign of forward movement.
Here’s what Broccoli previously told The Guardian on the past changes:
“I go back to ‘GoldenEye’ when everyone was saying ‘the cold war is over, the wall is over, Bond is dead, no need for Bond, the whole world’s at peace and now there’s no villains’ –– and boy was that wrong! Daniel gave us the ability to mine the emotional life of the character… and also the world was ready for it.”
And her comments on where they are with the next phase of the franchise from 2023:
“I think these movies reflect the time they are in, and there’s a big, big road ahead reinventing it for the next chapter, and we haven’t even begun with that. Our focus is making the feature films. When we get going on a Bond movie it takes our full attention for three or four years so that’s our focus. We make the Bond movies for the big theatrical screen and everything about the Bond movies is for audiences to see around the world on that format, so we’ve not wanted to do television.”
That seems likely to change going forward, as Amazon would clearly like to exploit new avenues.
As per details of the historic new agreement, Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson and Broccoli have formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights. The three parties will remain co-owners of the iconic franchise but Amazon MGM will have creative control.
Broccoli and Wilson stepping back was perhaps less of a surprise these days since she in particular has expressed frustration with the Amazon deal. And this way, the duo will have some small say in the future, but also enjoy what is surely a healthy payday.
Daniel Craig as James Bond in 2012’s ‘Skyfall.’
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