Bond Begins at Amazon

Hollywood studios have been in a bad patch of late. From the lack of income that stemmed from the closure of cinemas to the hurdles of getting film productions (and jobs) going again, Los Angeles' behemoth companies have been challenged like never before. With Warner Bros and Paramount attempting to cash in on the success of Disney+ with their own streaming sites, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, one of the last bastions of the Golden Era, has ensured survival through its acquisition by Amazon. The catch? $8.45 billion (or pocket money for Jeff Bezos).

MGM's Leo the Lion is an icon for great franchises like Rocky, but its biggest international export is James Bond. One of the longest-running film series in motion picture history, Ian Fleming's 007 has always been a draw at the cinema, reaching its zenith in 2012 when Skyfall made a swift home-run to a billion dollars. Amazon's ownership of Bond raises numerous questions, and concerns, about its future. Cinematic releases, rental paying, dramatic changes to cast and crew... there's a lot on the table for the mega-corporation, who has also spent a frankly ludicrous $1 billion developing a Middle-earth set TV show, building up a powerful web of entertainment brands to combat fellow streaming giant Netflix.

Ask most people what they thought of the most recent Bond film, Spectre, and the responses seem to range from mixed to negative. This, therefore, means there is a lot riding on the upcoming No Time To Die, Daniel Craig's final outing as the British icon. One of the most cursed productions ever made, the film has navigated director changes, 'creative differences', on-set injuries and fires, delays, collapsing a cinema chain and an immensely long marketing campaign that would effectively have lasted two years if the film does release this autumn. Where can Amazon take the property forwards after this? Firstly, it remains to be seen how good the 25th Bond film will be, and how much money it makes. If received positively then it would make sense to continue in the same formula, but critical and commercial failure could lead to another revamping of the near-60-year-old series. Yes, sixty years. Few can boast a shelf-life that formidable in Hollywood and it is a testament to Eon Productions' ability to sustain interest and success within the films, something which Amazon most definitely should consider when it comes to making future instalments.

While potential new Bond actors are talked about like royal baby names (Richard Madden for me, please) and I would love for the series to keep ploughing on, there is something somewhat appealing about closing the franchise at the 25th instalment mark and the end of Craig's involvement. Indeed, the intense competition that the Mission Impossible films offer for escapist spy fare has diminished Bond's relevance on the action scene, potentially opening the way to a different approach Amazon could take: adapting Fleming's novels or other Bond novels by such writers as Anthony Horowitz. Books like Moonraker and Octopussy were unfaithfully adapted to the screen, and so there is a starting point for telling these unused stories and reinstating 007 to the Cold War era of espionage and returning the franchise to its less explosive and more intrigue-based narrative style. This would set it apart from the action-spy competition.

Bond's new life at Amazon is all just speculation for now. No Time To Die is still scheduled for cinema release (hopefully something Amazon keeps up) but the opportunity to end the current series and explore new eras by adapting old novel stories seems a very appealing idea to push the property forwards.

Jacob Hando