It’s now official: Producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman have been officially hired by Amazon MGM Studios to oversee the James Bond franchise at the studio, starting with “Bond 26.”
The Earth-shattering announcement from today was made by Amazon after reports said that they were circling the “Barbie” producers to handle the next incarnation of Bond. This comes after the deep-pocketed company spent a reported billion dollars to have EON Productions (longtime franchise overseers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson) removed from the creative decisions.
“We are approaching every creative decision with James Bond, which Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have so masterfully steered, with the greatest sense of responsibility,” Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of Film, Courtenay Valenti, said in an official statement. “Part of an elite group of producers who have developed and managed massive film franchises to box office success and critical acclaim, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are two of the most accomplished, experienced, and respected film producers in our industry. We are honored to be working with them on James Bond’s next chapter and are excited to deliver to global audiences storytelling that upholds the impeccable legacy of this beloved character.”
“James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema,” said Pascal and Heyman. “We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson who made so many extraordinary films and honored and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure.”
Amazon is highlighting Pascal’s involvement with the “Spider-Man” franchise (although, unsurprisingly, they’re not mentioning those failed Sonyverse efforts that have plagued Sony Pictures at the box office and led to reported plans to end future spinoffs) and Heyman’s massive success with the “Harry Potter” movies (but don’t mention how “Fantastic Beasts” spinoffs fizzled-out before they could complete the two other planned films and the Potterverse is now being rebooted in the form of new television series).
We’re not exactly sure if everyone, die-hard fans and general audiences alike, are going to be totally sold on the idea of Pascal and Heyman replacing the EON team. However, it’s still too early to be extremely worried, and we’ll have to wait and see what actually comes from their involvement. From a PR spin perspective, it is a little disingenuous to paint Pascal’s previous connections to Bond beyond just EON/MGM’s former distribution partner at Sony Pictures, as she didn’t exactly creatively steer the few movies Pascal was involved with but for those who don’t know otherwise the link being made by Amazon might seem as a plus.
Writer/actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag,” “Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny”) had been linked (by former Daily Mail reporter Baz Bamigboye, now at Deadline) in 2019 as a potential screenwriter for “Bond 26” after adding rewrites to the script of “No Time To Die.” However, that was before these new producers were brought on, but it is noteworthy that Waller-Bridge has a pre-existing development deal with Amazon that could carry over to this project (that’s if she’s working on it).
Pascal and Heyman are only being mentioned for “Bond 26,” but given that the future health of the franchise is going to rely heavily on the new actor and the success of their first installment with them, that just seems like common sense. One of the reported conflicts between Amazon and EON was the streamer’s pressuring of making spinoffs, something that is likely going to be the next move once they hire folks to make/star the new film.
While there had been plenty of tabloid and trade rumblings about who “could” be hired to direct (Christopher Nolan working for a streamer like Amazon sounds like an unlikley fan-driven pipe dream, given his public clashes with Warner Bros. and refusal to work with Netflix) or replace Daniel Craig as the new 007, things will likely have to start all over again with EON’s exit and the new producing duo’s boarding.
