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Future James Bond films will continue to be screened in cinemas, despite Amazon’s deal to buy the movie studio that co-owns the rights to 007.
The tech giant bought MGM in a purchase worth $8.45bn (£5.97bn) this week.
Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stressed that the deal did not mean the spy would be pushed solely to Amazon’s streaming service.
“We are committed to continuing to make James Bond films for the worldwide theatrical audience,” they said.
What next for James Bond?
The rights to Bond were shared by MGM and Eon Productions, which is run by Broccoli and Wilson.
Jeff Bezos has bought the studio which oversaw James Bond s worldwide success - but two siblings still control the script, the direction and even who gets to play 007.
Amazon s $8.45 billion takeover of MGM this week rocked Hollywood, but the Bond franchise is still firmly in the hands of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, step siblings who inherited the production rights from Ms Broccoli s father in 1995.
Ms Broccoli was on the set nearly every day during shooting of the most recent instalment, No Time to Die, and handpicked Daniel Craig as Pierce Brosnan s successor.
The rights to the Bond movies were shared by MGM and Eon Productions, owned by the siblings. That share now passes to Amazon but Ms Broccoli and Mr Wilson will keep a firm grip on the creative side, from plot to director and who gets to play the suave MI6 agent.
The producers of James Bond movie No Time To Die have made it clear that the much-awaited film will release in theatres exclusively, despite Amazon s recent acquisition of studio MGM. The two studios on Wednesday announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amazo
May 27, 2021
published at 2:01 AMReuters
Smartphone with Amazon logo is seen in front of displayed MGM logo in this illustration taken, May 26, 2021.
Reuters
Amazon.com Inc will buy MGM, the fabled US movie studio home to the James Bond franchise, for $8.45 billion (S$11 billion), giving it a huge library of films and TV shows and ramping up competition with streaming rivals led by Netflix and Disney+.
The deal aims to bolster Amazon s television-focused studio with new and historic filmmaking from MGM, which has snapped up lucrative series including Rocky and Tomb Raider since its founding in 1924.
Streaming video helps the world s largest online retailer draw people to subscribe to Prime, a club with fast shipping, and to shop more once they re members.