By now, you've probably heard that Amazon gained creative control of the James Bond franchise in a new joint venture with longtime rights holders Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who've decided to step back. As soon as the news hit, reactions that ranged from shock to curiosity to all-out fury cropped up on the internet. In short, all of the fandom ain't happy.
Look, I get it. James Bond has surpassed the constraints of a straightforward spy narrative. He's the one who charted the course and ushered in the genre's modern era on the big screen. And that's where he's endured for the past six decades. Thanks to the Broccoli family's control over the franchise, 007 has sidestepped the trappings that have come with big corporations mining iconic IP for any number of potential projects -- whether prequels or spinoffs.
It's easy to be angry about the news. But what if this deal is a good thing?
The future of James Bond is anyone's guess. Will this be the latest intellectual property to get the Marvel and Star Wars treatment, with small-screen ancillary story universes? Bond's place has always been on the big screen, and many (including me) fear that this deal will firmly pivot the property from cinematic art to serialized product. Or will Amazon keep the James Bond narrative machine chugging along the way it has been for decades -- and keep his adventures solely on the big screen until a specified streaming release?
You've probably landed on this page after scrolling through countless articles and commentary pieces about how this move is terrible. Instead of leaning into all the negative speculation, let's go through some of the ways this deal could benefit the James Bond franchise.
Read more: Ready for a New James Bond? This Is Your Ultimate 007 Guide to How We Got Here
Sean Connery as James Bond in Dr. No, from 1962. Sunset Boulevard/Contributor
Appealing to a younger audience
I don't think anyone wants James Bond to be reduced to a sharable TikTok meme. But we shouldn't ignore the downward trend of box office returns over the years. Keeping James Bond on the big screen has been a gift for the franchise, but perhaps shifting the property to streaming is the right move to keep the franchise's heart beating for another 60 years.
Full disclosure: I'm nearing the big 50 mark, so I'm not here to assume what younger audiences want. But let's acknowledge the bigger picture: Streamers like Prime Video and Netflix have solidified the attention of at-home audiences, and this entertainment trend isn't going away.
... continue reading