- Amazon's $8.45bn takeover ended Bond's decades-long association with MGM
- But Bond's future is still firmly in the hands of two step-siblings who own rights
- Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson inherited production company from father
- The hands-on pair choose the story, the director and even who gets to play 007
Who really owns the rights to the James Bond franchise?
MGM maintains that it jointly owns the copyrights with Danjaq, the company controlled by the Broccoli family, to all the Bond films UA has made over the years. Mancuso said: “Kevin McClory’s claims of ownership to rights to James Bond have been disputed for over 10 years. Any claim that he can create a James Bond franchise is delusional.”
Is Sony threatening to steal the James Bond franchise?
James Bond is the most successful film franchise ever, generating more than $3 billion in worldwide revenue since its debut in 1962. The Bond series is the most potent weapon in MGM’s arsenal. Now Sony is threatening to snatch that franchise, claiming it has rights to make new Bond films.
How much money has the James Bond series made?
The 23 James Bond films produced by Eon Productions, which have grossed $4,910 million in box office returns alone, have made the series one of the highest-grossing ever.
Will the James Bond franchise change after no time to die?
With Daniel Craig leaving the role of Bond after No Time to Die, the generations of 007 fans are preparing for a serious change in the franchise. But said changes could be even more substantial, especially if MGM sells its half of the Bond franchise to another studio.
Who owns the franchise of James Bond?
EON Productions Limited and Danjaq LLC are wholly owned and controlled by the Wilson/Broccoli family. Danjaq is the US based company that co-owns, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, the copyright to the existing James Bond films and controls the right to produce future James Bond films.
Is James Bond owned by Warner Bros?
For years now, the James Bond movies have been released internationally by Universal and now as Warner Bros gets the deal, the catch is that the 007 mantle still continues to be with Universal and the 26th movie, whenever it drops, will be released by them too. Read on to know why so.
Has the James Bond franchise been sold?
Amazon has officially closed an $8.5 billion deal to purchase MGM studios, giving it control of famous movie franchises like Rocky and James Bond.
How much is the 007 franchise worth?
In 2015, the series was estimated to be worth $19.9 billion, making James Bond one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time....James BondTraditionalVariousRole-playingJames Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret ServiceVideo game(s)List of video gamesAudio19 more rows
Who distributes James Bond movies?
In 1975 after nine Bond films, Harry Saltzman sold his shares of Danjaq to United Artists (the then-current Bond series distributor). In 1996 Albert R. Broccoli died, although EON Productions is still owned by the Broccoli family, specifically Albert R. Broccoli's daughter, Barbara Broccoli, and his stepson, Michael G.
Who made most Bond movies?
The first place is a tie (as of 2022): Roger Moore & Sean Connery have each been 007 in… 007 movies. In 2nd place, we find Daniel Craig with 5 movies, followed by Pierce Brosnan in 3rd place, with 4.
How much did Amazon pay for James Bond?
$8.45 billionWhy Amazon is buying MGM holdings and James Bond for $8.45 billion - Vox.
Why did Amazon pay so much for MGM?
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, speaking to company shareholders the day the deal was announced in May 2021, said that it bought MGM because of its “vast, deep catalog of much beloved intellectual property,” and that it plans to “reimagine and develop that IP for the 21st century.”
Will Bond be on prime?
As of October 2022, all 25 James Bond movies are now streaming on Prime Video. Last year, Amazon acquired MGM, the studio that has produced every single Bond movie. The 25 Bond films will be available "for a limited time," but Prime did not specify what "limited means."
Who is the richest James Bond actor?
Daniel CraigDaniel Craig Net Worth: $160 Million His $160 million net worth is largely due to his Bond role and highly successful spinoff video games.
How much is Daniel Craig paid for Bond?
According to available information, Daniel Craig has hauled in right around $85 million total for his work in the legendary James Bond franchise. His salary increased with each new movie. Craig pocketed $3.2 million for Casino Royale and $7.2 million for Quantum of Solace.
What is Bond franchise doing now?
Next Bond film will be 'complete reinvention' but won't shoot for 'at least two years' The 26th official James Bond film is unlikely to be in cinemas before 2025, according to the series' producer, Barbara Broccoli.
Does Amazon own James Bond?
Amazon Won't Have Full Control Over James Bond Eon is a family-run corporation that's currently run by Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of founder Albert R. Broccoli, and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson.
Is James Bond British or American?
BritishWho is James Bond? James Bond is a British literary and film character. He is often depicted as a peerless spy, notorious womanizer, and masculine icon. He is also designated as agent 007 (always articulated as “double-oh-seven”) in the British Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6.
Is James Bond a Hollywood film?
The James Bond film series is a British series of spy films based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond, "007", who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming.
How many times has Bond been shot?
51. How Times Has 007 Been Shot At? After being shot at roughly 5,000 times as an agent for his Majesty's Secret Service, Bond keeps saving the world.
Who owns the James Bond movie?
James Bond, meet Jeff Bezos. After Amazon.com Inc agreed to purchase movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $8.45 billion earlier this year, many fans assumed the e-commerce giant wholly owned the rights to the James Bond franchise.
Who controls James Bond?
In fact, Broccoli and Wilson have "ironc lad" creative control over the franchise, the newspaper reports. The duo decides when a new James Bond film gets made, whether remakes or TV spinoffs should happen, and who plays the iconic spy role.
How long has Wilson resisted the call?
Added Wilson: “We’ve resisted that call for 60 years.”
Is No Time to Die owned by Amazon?
But the long-running spy film series—set to continue with its 25th film, No Time to Die, on Oct. 8—is only half-owned by Amazon.
Where was the 007 stage filmed?
It was rebuilt in time for production and reopened in January 1985, when it was renamed the "Albert Broccoli 007 Stage". The second unit started filming in Iceland in July 1984, while principal photography with Moore commenced on 1 August at Pinewood. Also in August, the second unit filmed in Paris, including scenes involving a parachute jump from the Eiffel Tower .
How many James Bond movies are there?
In that time, Eon Productions has produced 25 films as of 2021, most of them at Pinewood Studios. With a combined gross of over $7 billion to date, the films produced by Eon constitute the fifth-highest-grossing film series. Six actors have portrayed 007 in the Eon series, the latest being Daniel Craig .
Why did Harry Saltzman sell his stake in Danjaq?
Following The Man with the Golden Gun, producer Harry Saltzman sold his 50% stake in Eon Productions' parent company, Danjaq, to United Artists to alleviate his financial problems, brought about by financial constraints following a downturn in the fortunes of Technicolor, in which he had invested heavily. The resulting legalities over the Bond property delayed production of the next Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me.
Who produced You Only Live Twice?
The first four Bond films had been popular in Japan, and Eon decided to take advantage of the market by producing You Only Live Twice.
Where is the man with the golden gun set?
After considering Beirut, where part of the film is set; Iran, where the location scouting was done but eventually discarded because of the Yom Kippur War; and the Hạ Long Bay in Vietnam, the production team chose Thailand as a primary location, following a suggestion of production designer Peter Murton after he saw pictures of the Phuket bay in a magazine. Saltzman was happy with the choice of the Far East for the setting as he had always wanted to go on location in Thailand and Hong Kong. During the reconnaissance of locations in Hong Kong, Broccoli saw the partially submerged wreckage of the former RMS Queen Elizabeth and came up with the idea of using it as the base for MI6's Far East operations.
Who directed Superman 1978?
Eon then turned to Lewis Gilbert, who had directed the earlier Bond film You Only Live Twice. Broccoli commissioned a number of writers to work on the script, including Stirling Silliphant, John Landis, Ronald Hardy, Anthony Burgess and Derek Marlowe, but Richard Maibaum drew up the first draft script, with some inclusions from the previous writers. When Lewis Gilbert was hired to direct, he brought with him Christopher Wood to revise Maibaum's draft. The draft Wood prepared was challenged in court by Kevin McClory, who alleged infringement based on the use of what he claimed were his rights in SPECTRE and the Blofeld character. Eon disputed McClory's claim but had Wood remove the organisation and character from the script.
When was Goldeneye released?
Before GoldenEye had been released in November 1995 , MGM/UA started their preparations for Bond 18, intending for a release in early December 1997, leaving Eon Productions little time for pre-production. The producers were unable to convince Martin Campbell to return; his agent said that "Martin just didn't want to do two Bond films in a row". Instead, Roger Spottiswoode was chosen in September 1996. With Peter Lamont unavailable because he was committed to Titanic, Spottiswoode chose Allan Cameron in his place to provide sets; Spottiswoode and Cameron had previously worked together on Air America.
What is the mission of 007?
007 is sent to Japan to investigate the spacecraft theft and astronaut kidnapping in orbit of American Project Gemini spacecraft Jupiter 16 by an unidentified spacecraft. Upon his arrival, Bond is contacted by Aki, assistant to the Japanese secret service leader Tiger Tanaka. Bond established that the mastermind behind the hijacking is SPECTRE's Number One, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, in conjunction with Osato, a local industrialist. Bond follows the trail to Blofeld's island headquarters and spaceport, while the spacecraft, Bird One, attacks a Soviet capsule. Blofeld explains to Bond that his plot is to fake in front of each superpower that Bird One is an enemy spacecraft to transform the Cold War into World War III .
Who is James Bond?
James Bond is a fictional character created by the novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. Bond is a British secret agent working for MI6 and answers to his codename, 007. He has been portrayed on film by the actors Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, in twenty-seven productions.
Why did Bond escape from the clinic?
Bond escapes from the clinic after Blofeld identifies him as the British agent. Bond arranges a raid on the clinic using men from Draco's organisation.
What movie did James Bond's Aston Martin debut in?
James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 debuted in Goldfinger and also appears in Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die.
Why did James Bond leave the military?
James Bond has left active service when his friend Felix Leiter enlists his help in the search for a missing scientist. When it becomes apparent the scientist was abducted, Bond must confront a danger the world has never seen.
How many James Bond movies are there?
The series currently encompasses twenty-four films, with the most recent, Spectre, released in October 2015. With a combined gross of nearly $7 billion to date, the films produced by Eon constitute ...
What is James Bond investigating?
James Bond is sent to investigate the murder of three British MI6 agents , all of whom have been killed within 24 hours. He discovers the victims were all separately investigating the operations of Dr. Kananga, the dictator of a small Caribbean island, San Monique.
Who is the 007?
For other uses, see 007 (disambiguation). The James Bond series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections.
How much money has James Bond made?
No, starring Sean Connery as Bond. As of 2021, there have been twenty-five films in the Eon Productions series. The most recent Bond film, No Time to Die (2021), stars Daniel Craig in his fifth portrayal of Bond; he is the sixth actor to play Bond in the Eon series. There have also been two independent productions of Bond films: Casino Royale (a 1967 spoof starring David Niven) and Never Say Never Again (a 1983 remake of an earlier Eon-produced film, 1965's Thunderball, both starring Connery). In 2015 the series was estimated to be worth $19.9 billion, making James Bond one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time .
What was the most popular role playing game in the 007 series?
From 1983 to 1987, a licensed tabletop role-playing game, James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service, was published by Victory Games (a branch of Avalon Hill) with it being designed by Gerard Christopher Klug. It was the most popular espionage role-playing game for its time. In addition to providing materials for players to create original scenarios, the game also offered players the opportunity to have adventures modelled after many of the Eon Productions film adaptations, albeit with modifications to provide challenges by preventing players from slavishly imitating Bond's actions in the stories.
How much did Ian Fleming pay for Casino Royale?
In 1954 CBS paid Ian Fleming $1,000 ($9,637 in 2020 dollars) to adapt his novel Casino Royale into a one-hour television adventure, "Casino Royale", as part of its Climax! series. The episode aired live on 21 October 1954 and starred Barry Nelson as "Card Sense" James Bond and Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre. The novel was adapted for American audiences to show Bond as an American agent working for "Combined Intelligence", while the character Felix Leiter —American in the novel—became British onscreen and was renamed "Clarence Leiter".
How many James Bond books did Benson write?
By the time he moved on to other, non-Bond related projects in 2002, Benson had written six Bond novels, three novelisations and three short stories. 1997 " Blast From the Past " (short story) 1997 Zero Minus Ten.
What are the Bond movies known for?
The films are also noted for Bond's relationships with various women, who are popularly referred to as " Bond girls ".
When was James Bond born?
Fleming did not provide Bond's date of birth, but John Pearson 's fictional biography of Bond, James Bond: The Authorized Biography of 007, gives Bond a birth date on 11 November 1920, while a study by John Griswold puts the date at 11 November 1921.
How much did Sam Mendes make for 007?
With such a huge spend, and all of the various promotional and marketing considerations that are associated with making a 007 film, the break even point for director Sam Mendes’ second outing was estimated at about $650 million. No Time To Die wasn’t any cheaper to make, shelling out around that same budgetary figure.
Who owns the rights to No Time To Die?
However, there’s certain responsibilities that the studio will have to share with another party, as Universal Pictures holds key rights to No Time To Die. Internationally, Universal is the studio that will distribute this film into theatrical release.
What studio did Amazon buy?
Amazon, a company of deep pockets and great ambitions, has just bought MGM Studios for a cool $8.45 billion. It feels pretty huge to be reporting this acquisition, but it’s not the silver bullet some might hope for. In fact, one of the frequent topics of discussion is how things might work for the James Bond franchise in the post-acquisition age. It’s a subject worth parsing out, as almost 60 years have passed the 007 franchise first associated with that studio as its default home base. Without further ado, here are six key things to know about the James Bond property after Amazon’s big MGM purchase.
How much did it cost to make Eddie Murphy Legacyquel?
But the $120 million it cost to bring the Eddie Murphy legacyquel is roughly half of what it takes to produce a James Bond movie, and the amount it usually takes for such a film to break even is definitely a concern.
Is EON controlling James Bond?
EON Productions’ control over the James Bond legacy means a lot of things will not happen under its watch. And one of the largest vetoes we’ve seen in the past year is the decision to reject some rather flush offers that streaming services were allegedly making in the name of luring No Time To Die into a streaming debut. With Amazon purchasing MGM, some may have thought this decision would have been overridden, but again, that’s just not going to happen.
Does Amazon own MGM?
As the company now owns MGM, that means that the domestic theatrical release experience will be Amazon’s official responsibility. However, there’s certain responsibilities that the studio will have to share with another party, as Universal Pictures holds key rights to No Time To Die.
Who is the studio that will distribute No Time to Die?
Internationally, Universal is the studio that will distribute this film into theatrical release. But additionally, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has the responsibility of releasing No Time To Die, and possibly the entire James Bond catalog, on physical media. So for once, this agreement breaks in the favor of Amazon; which is great, because the company's going to need that money if it's serious about the future of the James Bond franchise.
Who owns the other half of the Broccoli?
According to The New York Times, the other half is owned by Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother, Michael G. Wilson, through their Eon Productions shingle.
How long has Wilson resisted the call?
Added Wilson: “We’ve resisted that call for 60 years.”
Who owns the rights to 007?
MGM may have part ownership of the 007 movie rights, but Eon has final approval over creative choices and nothing Bond-related gets made without Broccoli and Wilson's approval.
Who owns James Bond movies?
MGM has co-ownership of the James Bond movie rights with Danjaq LLC, a holding company for the movie studio Eon Productions, which has been producing James Bond movies since 1961. Eon is a family-run corporation that's currently run by Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of founder Albert R. Broccoli, and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson.
What does Amazon buying MGM mean?
What Amazon Buying MGM Means For James Bond's Future. Amazon's purchase of MGM includes co-ownership of the rights to the James Bond franchise. Here's how that could affect 007's future. Hot on the heels of the WarnerMedia/Discovery merger announcement comes news of another major Hollywood deal: Amazon is buying MGM for $8.45 billion, ...
How much did the last two James Bond movies make?
The last two movies in the franchise, Spectre and Skyfall, grossed $880 million and $1.1 billion at the box office, respectively, and James Bond films have been reliably successful hits for 60 years now.
Will Amazon Prime be exclusive to James Bond?
Amazon's acquisition of MGM is unlikely to affect the release of No Time To Die, but it will likely mean that Bond 26 and subsequent movies will be Amazon Prime Video exclusives after their theatrical runs have ended. Beyond distribution, however, Amazon's influence over the James Bond franchise has some significant limitations.
Does Amazon have influence on James Bond?
Beyond distribution, however, Amazon's influence over the James Bond franchise has some significant limitations. Here's why the MGM acquisition is unlikely to have a major effect on 007's future, and the things that might change in the coming year.
Is Eon Productions part of Amazon?
Eon Productions is independent of MGM and therefore not included in Amazon's buyout, so anything James Bond-related that Amazon wanted to make would have to be approved by Eon. In terms of control over this particular franchise, the deal is a far cry from Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox, which gave Disney full control over characters like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. The end result will be more comparable to Disney's relationship with the Spider-Man franchise, where there's an agreement to allow the character to appear in Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, but ultimately Sony retains control. MGM may have part ownership of the 007 movie rights, but Eon has final approval over creative choices and nothing Bond-related gets made without Broccoli and Wilson's approval.
Who produced the Bond movie?
Every single Bond movie has been produced by Eon Productions. Started by Albert Broccoli and proceeded by his daughter Barbara, the company has been behind all 25 installments in the beloved franchise. Eon is clearly planning on staying with the franchise on Bond 26 and beyond, so MGM's potential sale to Netflix or Apple won't be a completely fresh start. The life blood of the property will still be present.
Will Daniel Craig leave Bond?
With Daniel Craig leaving the role of Bond after No Time to Die, the generations of 007 fans are preparing for a serious change in the franchise. But said changes could be even more substantial, especially if MGM sells its half of the Bond franchise to another studio. As the latest reports indicate, both Netflix and Apple are in preliminary talks ...
Who is the female 007?
Lashana Lynch Pitched an 'Awkward, Anxious' Female 007, and the 'No Time to Die' Team Listened
How many James Bond movies were made?
Over the course of five films, Craig and his various directors and screenwriters spun out a massive, emotional epic that dared to consider James Bond as a flawed, damaged, and very human character. It didn’t always work — we’re looking at you, “Spectre” — but it’s tough not to admire the truly daring, franchise-upending choices that inspired it. Maybe you never wondered about James Bond’s childhood or what would happen if the guy really did fall in love with one woman (long-time fans will, of course, remember that one time Bond got married at the end of “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” only for Mrs. Tracy Bond to be killed off and to resurface as a headstone ), but at least we know what that all looks like.
What is the focus of each Bond scene?
The focus of each Bond scene is how it will put you on the edge of your seat, rather than how it fits into a larger serialized story. It’s in this sense that Bond is like a genre, where a collection of artists come together to play in a sandbox and reimagine how to deliver on those audience expectations, versus a TV-like approach of how to deliver multiple editions that are cut from the same cloth.
Overview
The James Bond film series is a British series of spy films based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond, "007", who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. It is one of the longest continually running film series in history, having been in ongoing production from 1962 to the present (with a six-year hiatus between 1989 and 1995). In that time, Eon Productions has produced 25 films as of 2021, most of them at Pinewood Studios. With a combined gross of ove…
First screen adaptation
In 1954 the American CBS television network paid Ian Fleming $1,000 ($10,090 in 2021 dollars ) for the rights to turn his first novel, Casino Royale, into a one-hour television adventure as part of the dramatic anthology series Climax Mystery Theater, which ran between October 1954 and June 1958. It was adapted for the screen by Anthony Ellis and Charles Bennett; Bennett was well known for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, including The 39 Steps and Sabotage. Due to the rest…
Eon Productions
In 1959 producer Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli at Warwick Films expressed interest in adapting the Bond novels, but his colleague Irving Allen was unenthusiastic. In June 1961 Fleming sold a six-month option on the film rights to his published and future James Bond novels and short stories to Harry Saltzman, with the exception of Casino Royale, which he had previously sold. Towards the end of …
Non-Eon films
In March 1955 Ian Fleming sold the film rights of his novel Casino Royale to producer Gregory Ratoff for $6,000 ($60,693 in 2021 dollars). In 1956 Ratoff set up a production company with Michael Garrison to produce Casino Royale; Ratoff died in December 1960. After Ratoff's death, producer Charles K. Feldman represented Ratoff's widow and obtained the rights to film.
See also
• Motifs in the James Bond film series
• List of recurring actors in the James Bond film series
• List of recurring characters in the James Bond film series
• List of James Bond films
External links
• Quotations related to James Bond (film series) at Wikiquote
• Media related to James Bond films at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website
• Pinewood Studios
Overview
James Bond is a fictional character created by British novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. A British secret agent working for MI6 under the codename 007, Bond has been portrayed on film in twenty-seven productions by actors Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig. Eon Productions, which now holds the adaptation rights to all of Fleming's Bond novels, made all but two films in the film series.
Eon films
Strangways, the British Intelligence (SIS) Station Chief in Jamaica, is killed. In response, British agent James Bond—also known as 007—is sent to Jamaica to investigate the circumstances. During his investigation Bond meets Quarrel, a Cayman fisherman, who had been working with Strangways around the nearby islands to collect mineral samples. One of the islands was Crab Key, home to t…
Non-Eon films
The two Bond films from other production companies have a combined gross of over $200 million (or approximately $871 million in 2020 dollars)
Bond is brought out of retirement to deal with SMERSH and is promoted to the head of MI6 on the death of M. He recruits baccarat player Evelyn Tremble to beat SMERSH agent Le Chiffre. Having embezzled SMERSH's money, Le Chiffr…
See also
• Bond girl
• "Casino Royale" (Climax!), the first live-action adaptation of an Ian Fleming novel
• James Bond music
• Outline of James Bond
References and sources
• Balio, Tino (1987). United Artists: The Company That Changed the Film Industry. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 978-0-299-11440-4.
• Block, Alex Ben; Autrey Wilson, Lucy (2010). George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-177889-6.