It’s October 2012 and George Lucas has just sold Lucasfilm to Disney in a whopping $4 billion deal, putting the House of the Mouse in charge of Star Wars.
It’s December 2015, and fans of a galaxy far, far away look up in excitement as Star Wars: The Force Awakens releases in theatres to acclaim.
It’s December 2019, and fans look down in disappointment as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens to negative reviews.
It’s March 2025, and fans look straight ahead with a confused look as there is no Star Wars film to look forward to and the umpteenth Star Wars Disney+ show is on its way.
Now, you may be asking why the references to Star Wars are so important in an article about James Bond. Well, that’s because the death of creativity doesn’t come with a buyout, but rather with oversaturation in its highest form—and what better franchise to use as an example.
In February 2025, a historic announcement was made which saw Amazon MGM Studios receive full creative control of the 007 franchise after Barbara Broccoli and Andrew G. Wilson stepped down. This would be the first time that a Broccoli isn’t involved with the future of the franchise—and it puts James Bond as a whole in quite the weird spot.
It’s honestly a bit weird to know that a franchise which is considered to be one of the most important cornerstones of British cinema will now be reduced to being controlled by a streaming conglomerate. Fans will now go from watching a man having a license to kill, to requiring a license to Prime Video just to see him kill. There is not much prestige or excitement attached to that.
And the 007 franchise, at its core, is all about prestige, alongside excitement, thrills, and the big screen experience. It’s what defines this character and franchise. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, it has never failed at delivering high-octane action and drama—something that audiences have constantly tuned in to for the last 60 years. While Amazon may do well with the decisions it makes, the reports that are coming out of the deal don’t really instil much confidence.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon has already tried getting a series based on Moneypenny, M’s trusted secretary, and another project based on Bond’s CIA friend Felix Leiter, off the ground.
It’s been more than five years since the last theatrical Star Wars film, but only three months since the latest Star Wars Disney+ show. What was once considered as the biggest sci-fi franchise of all time has now been reduced to streaming slop where series get cancelled after one season. It’s hard not to imagine 007 going the same way as well. Given that the James Bond series is such a moneymaker, it’s hard not to imagine a studio executive calling a meeting just to see how many project ideas they can fit in on a piece of paper.
As a matter of fact, we have already seen this happen with 007: Road to a Million—a reality show where people compete in spy-themed challenges to win £1 million. Who would have thought that a reality show would come out of this franchise someday? Certainly not me.
It’s not that the reign of the Broccolis over the franchise has been perfect, but at least they realised the importance of what they had and the legacy that came along with it.
Just moments after the announcement of the shift in creative control, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos put out a post asking which actor should be the new Bond. Maybe the countless loads of people who have always wanted to see Henry Cavill in the role will finally get their wish, but there will never be another “wow” moment that was attached to the inspired castings of Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig.
Maybe it’s too soon to pass judgement, and maybe I am just letting out some pent-up frustration for the current Hollywood mold. But one thing’s for certain: fans are definitely set to receive their vodka martinis stirred and not shaken from now on.
Words by Rohit Rajput
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