Next James Bond release date decided as Amazon ‘fast-tracks’ movie following acquisition
Amazon has “fast-tracked” production on the next James Bond film following its acquisition of creative control of the iconic franchise and is thought to have settled on a release date.
Last month, Amazon MGM struck a deal with long-time producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, taking full creative control of all future Bond productions.
While the pair will remain co-owners of the franchise, the transaction has handed Amazon complete creative authority over Bond 26 and beyond.
Amazon has allocated a substantial £250million budget for Bond 26, £30million more than the amount spent on Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 in No Time to Die.
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“The Bond bosses had already proposed broad plots and reboot ideas,” a source told The Sun.
“The writers’ rooms are being assembled in the hope of recouping their investment ASAP.”
Work is said to have kicked into action in recent weeks, with Amazon executives eager to begin earning back revenue from their significant investment in the franchise.
The film is expected to be in cinemas by the end of 2027, with Amazon pushing for filming to be completed by the end of next year.
According to various reports, producers David Heyman, known for the Harry Potter franchise, and Amy Pascal, who worked on Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films, are in talks to develop the project.
Amazon’s acquisition of the Bond franchise has led to speculation of “watering down” the series with spin-offs beyond the main film and even fears of the film icon “going woke”.
However, the source stated the streaming giant “know fans want and expect a movie” as their primary focus.
They detailed: “Amazon wanted Bond for a number of reasons and one of them was to earn revenue.”
The franchise has historically been a “heavyweight movie theatre earner” that Amazon isn’t turning away from.
When the film arrives, it will match the record for the longest time audiences have had to wait for a new Bond film since the franchise began.
The current record stands at six years, between Timothy Dalton’s final appearance in 1989’s Licence to Kill and Pierce Brosnan’s debut in 1995’s GoldenEye.
The hunt for a new Bond to replace Daniel Craig has intensified in recent weeks, with several actors rumoured to be in contention.