Ex-007 Timothy Dalton Reacts To Amazon’s James Bond Takeover: “They’ll Be Doing Their Best To Make A Lot Of Money”

James Bond

remains one of the longest-running franchises in the world of entertainment. Based on the character created by Ian Fleming, the first 007 movie was released in 1962 with Dr. No. This film introduced Sean Connery as the suave British superspy, a role that would eventually pass to George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and, finally, Daniel Craig.

Craig first joined the franchise in 2006 with Casino Royale, and the Martin Campbell film ushered in a new era for 007, one that was grittier and more grounded than anything in the Brosnan movies. Craig reprised his role as Bond in four sequels, ultimately departing the franchise with the explosive ending of No Time To Die in 2021. Since then, it’s been unclear what awaits the franchise, and there has been, until now, no official movement on another installment or the casting of a new actor. Now, Amazon has taken over control of the franchise, suggesting change is coming.

Timothy Dalton Addresses Amazon’s New Control Of James Bond

A New Era For 007 Is Here

Dalton shares a mixed reaction to Amazon taking creative control of the Bond franchise. Having played Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989), Dalton worked alongside former franchise producer Cubby Broccoli. Cubby’s successors, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, continued the Broccoli family’s six-decade-long shepherding of the franchise, but it was recently announced that they’ve ceded creative control to Amazon, which purchased Bond distributor MGM in 2022. The decision came after Wilson’s retirement from movies and ahead of James Bond 26, prompting Broccoli to rethink her position with the franchise as well.

In an interview with RadioTimes.com about the Yellowstone spin-off 1923, Dalton expressed his immense surprise at the decision. He shared his respect for the Broccolis, but he also maintains some hope for the future. While he expects Amazon to seek to “make a lot of money” above all else, he still hopes that they produce good movies as a result. Check out his quote below:

I was very, very surprised and shocked. Barbara is, I think, a fabulous woman and a wonderful producer, as was her father Cubby Broccoli, who I got on with very well and liked a lot. He was a very powerful and strong anchor for the project. Nothing went on that he didn’t want, and it’s sad that he’s not with us anymore, that’s all I can say. He was well in charge of the show and that’s not so anymore.

It’s a wonderful franchise. The movies have taken different courses over the years, but there is something very good about the original and I hope Amazon latch onto that and give us the kind of film that’s brought so much excitement and fun to so many people. Can you remember the first time you saw a Bond movie? You were a kid, right? Me too! And that’s what got us going. Anyway, good luck to them, I say. I do wish them all the very, very best. They’ll be doing their best to make a lot of money, so hopefully they will make good movies.

The Future Remains Uncertain

The James Bond franchise is no stranger to turnover. Seven different actors have played 007, and an eighth is now poised to take over the role. Even the leading producers changed after Barbara Broccoli and Wilson took control over the franchise. Still, the Amazon acquisition may be the most significant shift. Amazon MGM acquired the rights to the movies in 2022, but it only managed to obtain full creative control on Thursday. It’s likely that the company will expand the movies into a media empire, while also featuring content that is not restricted to the silver screen.

All the James Bond movies are currently streaming on Prime Video.

There has been no Bond movie since 2021’s No Time To Die, which is an unusually long period of stagnation. Between casting, writing, filming, and editing, it will likely be several more years before a movie is released, but this period of stagnation is set to end with Amazon now in control. Amazon taking full creative control of Bond means that the company will probably be fast-tracking development on the next movie. Still, if Bond 26 does not premiere until 2027, it will be the longest period between Bond movies in the history of the franchise.

No Time To Die Key Figures

Rotten Tomatoes Score

RT Popcornmeter

Metacritic

Est. Budget

Worldwide Box Office

83%

88%

68/100

$250M

$774M

Despite rumors about new Bond actors, a recent report claims that Broccoli and Wilson had actually made very little progress on Bond 26. According to the report, they were unsure about how to proceed with the franchise and none of the actors seemingly in contention, like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, were close to actually being cast. With Amazon now in charge, a new 007 announcement will probably arrive before the end of the year. Jeff Bezos already polled fans on X, formerly Twitter, about who should take over the role, speaking to the populist approach Amazon will be taking with the franchise.

Our Take On Amazon Taking Over James Bond

Dalton Is Right To Be Concerned

Daniel Craig as James Bond looking dismayed on a rooftop in No Time to Die

There is something fundamentally unique about this franchise. In the age of streaming giants and cinematic universes, it has maintained a strict and orderly schedule. It does not have excessive spin-offs, and its one attempt at an animated TV show, James Bond Jr., collapsed after just three months. That may now be set to change. After acquiring the rights, Prime Video immediately released a Bond-inspired reality show, 007: Road to a Million. With that track record, it’s reasonable to expect Amazon to now attempt to create a Bond cinematic universe.

Jeffrey-Wright-in-Casino-Royale-and-Ana-de-Armas-and-Daniel-Craig-in-No-Time-To-Die

Related

Predicting Amazon’s James Bond Movies & TV Shows

Now that Amazon has acquired creative control of the James Bond franchise, we’re in for plenty of spin-offs and side projects in the future.

Still, there are reasons for hope. Amazon has already reportedly invested billions into the franchise. If they damage its reputation, those billions will have been completely wasted. After the disappointing reception to the Citadel universe, Prime Video has learned a harsh lesson in straying too far from expectations. If Amazon MGM can avoid over-saturating the market, then the next era of James Bond can maintain its greatness.

Source: RadioTimes.com