“These people are f***ing idiots”— Barbara Broccoli reportedly slams Amazon over James Bond delays
The future of upcoming James Bond projects doesn't look very bright, The Wall Street Journal reported. This is mainly because the family that controls the franchise does not fully support Amazon's ideas.
The Wall Street Journal reported on December 19, 2024, that Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of the late Albert “Cubby” Broccoli—the film producer who first secured the rights to British novelist Ian Fleming's James Bond—has been in conflict with Amazon executives ever since the e-commerce company acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio in March 2022.
The publication also claimed that Barbara's issues with Amazon run deeper than many realize. She has reportedly been overheard telling her friends about the Amazon executives:
"These people are f***king idiots."
New James Bond projects are reportedly not going forward due to rifts between Amazon execs and the Broccoli family
After Daniel Craig wielded his gun for the final time in No Time to Die (2021), no one has yet stepped into his character's shoes. However, several names have been mentioned over the years.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Amazon seems to be leaning towards diversifying Bond's character, potentially introducing a gay or a Black leading character. They are also considering the possibility of a female James Bond.
The publication notes that while the Broccoli family is open to having a gay or a non-white person as James Bond, they are not ready to approve a film featuring a female Bond.
That said, even with the concepts they are willing to explore, they have specific criteria. For example, if the lead role were to be played by someone whose orientation is gay or they are Black, then that person would need to be British.
Based on information collected from at least 20 people Barbara Broccoli has spoken to about the incident, The Wall Street Journal reports that she is no longer interested in making additional projects with Amazon. The report mentions:
"She has told friends she doesn’t trust algorithm-centric Amazon with a character she helped to mythologize through big-screen storytelling and gut instinct. This fall, she characterized the status of a new movie in dire terms — no script, no story and no new Bond."
The report also mentioned several other strongly worded statements Barbara made, which implied that she did not trust Amazon when it came to carrying on the James Bond legacy, at least not in the way she or her family envisioned it.
"Amazon isn't a good home for Bond, since the company's core business is selling everything from toilet paper to vacuums," Barbara reportedly said.
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What happened to the television spinoff series?
According to the Journal, Amazon was supposed to develop a James Bond spinoff television series featuring Miss Moneypenny, the secretary of MI6 spy chief M. However, that project has been put on hold.
As anyone would have guessed, this is also reportedly a result of the alleged feud between the Brocolli family and Amazon executives, who do not appear to be moving toward a consensus on any matters related to James Bond projects anytime soon.
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Approximately three years have passed since the last James Bond film was released. While it usually takes time for the producers to find the right lead actor whenever there's a change, they typically have someone confirmed by this time before filming begins.
As many have pointed out, this time, though, it seems to be taking longer than usual to hear any official announcements regarding the film.
