Valerie Leon, a James Bond actress, has expressed concern that the 007 character’s creators will no longer be British because of Amazon MGM Studios’ creative control.
Eon Productions, run by Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli who have produced the franchise since the death of Albert “Cubby” Broccoli are set to remain co-owners with Washington-based Amazon MGM Studios, which has offices in London.
Since Daniel Craig’s final performance in 2021’s No Time To Die, there has been more speculation about the series’ future, and no new actor has been named for the role.
In 2022, Amazon acquired MGM, including the rights to distribute James Bond movies, and will now be in charge of the intellectual property rights.
Wilson will leave film work behind to “focus on art and charitable projects”, while Broccoli is going to do “other projects”, the duo said.
Leon, 81, was a “Bond girl” in the films The Spy Who Loved Me and Never Say Never Again, alongside Sir Roger Moore and Sir Sean Connery.
She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that it does not worry her as “life changes, and everything moves on and changes”.
Leon added: “The Bond franchise was very British and it won’t be anymore”.
“And obviously if they make films they won’t go into the cinema… everything is so changed now, it just won’t be the same and I’m very old-fashioned anyway”.
Since the first 007 movie Dr No in 1962, the official Bond film franchise has been controlled by members of the American-British Broccoli family, either single-handedly or in partnership with others.
The Broccoli family and Amazon MGM Studios “have formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights,” according to a statement released on Thursday, and those parties will continue to own the franchise.
Following the closing of the transaction, “Amazon MGM Studios will take creative control of the James Bond franchise,” according to the statement.
London-raised Broccoli and her half-brother Wilson have produced the last nine Bond films, including Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Spectre and No Time To Die.
They were honored with CBEs as British-American citizens, and they were honored with Sir Sam Mendes, the director of Skyfall, for their outstanding British film Bafta, in 2012.
The spin-off Bond Prime Video game show 007: Road To A Million, starring Succession actor Brian Cox, was released in 2023. It will make a second series of the show.
Shortly after the deal was announced, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos stuck a post on Instagram, asking his followers: “Who’d you pick as the next Bond”?
Previous reports in the Wall Street Journal claimed Broccoli and Amazon MGM Studios had been at odds with one another over creative control, and that the company wanted to ‘expande Bond into TV and other industries.
The deal is expected to close in 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, the PA news agency understands.
Source: Mirror
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