TheJames Bondmovie franchise has been helmed by the Brocolli family since its inception with 1962’sDr. No, so the news thatBarbara Brocolli and long-time collaborator Michael G. Wilson are stepping back from theirBondrolesis a huge deal.EveryJames Bondmoviehas been overseen by a Brocolli, andBarbara herself has been involved since 1987’sThe Living Daylights. So, Daniel Craig’s incoming replacement will be the first ofall the James Bond actorsnot to have a member of the Brocolli family directly involved with their project.
The rights to theJames Bondfranchise were acquired by Amazon MGM in 2022, and since then, there’s been very little movement aboutwhat the 26thBondmovie will look likeor when it will arrive. Now, it looks as though the possibility ofJames Bond’s movie rights changing hands may have been a factor in this delay. Moving forward, there could be many benefits to this new arrangement, but there will potentially also be negative factors to consider.
The Broccoli Family Is A Crucial Part Of James Bond History
007 & the Broccolis are often mentioned in the same breath
Beginning as aseries of novels by Ian Flemming, theJames Bondsaga eventually found its way to the big screen due in no small part to producer Albert “Cubby” Brocolli and his affinity for the books.Cubby saw a great deal of promise in the pages of Fleming’s workand took it upon himself to begin what would become one of thebiggest cinematic franchises of all time. Barbara joined the family business forTimothy Dalton’s 007 debut, over a decade after her half-brother (Cubby’s step-son), Michael G. Wilson, became aBondproducer for 1979’sMoonraker.
1964
99%
1963
97%
1962
95%
2006
94%
2012
Daniel Craig
92%
Cubby passed away in 1996, so Pierce Brosnan’sGoldenEyethe year before the producer’s death was his last franchise credit. Since then, his two successors have remained in charge. So, the Brocolli name has become synonymous with the super spy through the decades. Althoughthere have been otherBondmovies made by other studiosdue to copyright quirks, they aren’t considered to be part of the official universe. Going forward, bothBrocolli and Wilson will retain co-ownership of theBondIP, but have surrendered creative control to Amazon.
Barbara Broccoli Has A Great Track Record With Bond, And Was Protective Of It
The quality of her Bond movies has been consistently impressive
Barbara Brocolli has been the franchise matriarch for years now, and she has helped keep her father’s legacy intact by producing a string of brilliantJames Bondmovies. Plus, she helped modernize the movies over time without straying from what made them so great in the first place. Some are better than others, but there aren’t any that would be considered genuine failures. As such,Brocolli has been praised for her consistencyin this respect. Having said that, she has also been criticized by some for one aspect of her leadership.
In short, there are those who think she has been too protective over the franchise. Given its popularity,it’s perhaps surprising that “only” 25James Bondmovies have been madethrough the decades. Sure,Bondmovies have been made beyond Fleming’s source material, but they’ve still felt very authentic rather than being too forced. However, this caution not to oversaturate the franchise with an endless stream of installments is a big part of what has made the series so beloved. Fans are quite often left wanting more, rather than getting tired of 007 projects.
Why Amazon MGM Having Creative Control Of James Bond Is Worrying
Brocolli’s decision could result in too much Bond content at once
Given the demand for moreJames Bondcontent,Barbara Brocolli’s reluctance to make too many movies could be seen as a flaw- and one the franchise’s new owners will probably correct. While Brocolli has pretty much drip-fed new content to the devoted fan base, it’s unlikely that Amazon MGM would want to acquire the property if not to makeBondreleases a more common occurrence. Then again, this isn’t necessarily a good thing.
45 Best James Bond Quotes
The best James Bond quotes make up some of the most iconic lines from the history of movies, with great puns and 007 catchphrases.
As can happen with many franchises,James Bondcould be about to experience what Brocolli tried to avoid for so long. Rather than quality-over-quantity,Amazon MGM may have a deluge of newBondprojects in the pipeline. For instance, 007’s younger years could be shown in the form of a prequel movie or TV show, or there could be a bunch of spinoffs on the way revolving around key characters other than the franchise’s central figure. There could even be an American Bond actor cast. For now, it’s all speculation, but it’s unrealistic to thinkJames Bondwill stay the same.
