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8th October 2024
The global head of Amazon MGM Studios gives an update on Bond 26
By MI6 Staff
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Jennifer Salke, the global head of Amazon MGM Studios, today gave an update on the progress of Bond 26 and it will be disappointing for fans but not surprising for long-time watchers of the franchise.
Salke, who was part of the Amazon team that acquired MGM back in 2021, was asked by The Guardian about the lack of progress on finding a successor to Daniel Craig and retooling the series. "There are a lot of ideas [about potential actors] that have popped up that I thought are interesting,” she said. “I think there are a lot of different ways we can go. We have a good and close relationship with EON (sic) and Barbara and Michael. We are not looking to disrupt the way those wonderful films are made. For us, we are taking their lead."
She added: “The global audience will be patient. We don’t want too much time between films, but we are not concerned at this point.”
Through the acquisition of MGM, Amazon now owns 50% of the James Bond cinematic franchise, whereas Danjaq (run by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson) owns the other 50%. EON Productions is the production company, wholly owned by Danjaq, that makes the films.
Despite the 50/50 split, Broccoli and Wilson have the power to decide when the films will be made. After Sony pressured them to rush Daniel Craig's second outing ('Quantum of Solace'), they were vocal about only working on their own timetable from then on out.
As MI6 has reported all year, Barbara Broccoli's focus is far from James Bond. She has a number of projects on the go, including a big-screen adaptation of Daniel Craig's 'Othello,' as well as producing a new musical - 'Buena Vista Social Club' - scheduled for a Broadway run in 2025.
Today it was announced that Broccoli will also work to move the play 'Sing Street' from Broadway to London. Playwright Enda Walsh told Deadline he refers to Broccoli as "the Boss." He said he admires her because she’s this big Hollywood executive of Bond movies and "she loves theater shows as well. He added that Broccoli "is steering the whole thing, she steered the show from the beginning," and "she’s the one who originally approached me to do it after we had so much fun on Once."
Above: Barbara Broccoli with Daniel Craig at the A24 screening of his new film 'Queer' in Los Angeles this week
Many fans have inexplicably blamed Amazon's acquisition of MGM as the reason behind the delays to casting a seventh 007 and greenlighting Bond 26. As today's interview with Salke confirms, nothing could be further from the truth. Movement on the next era of 007 will happen when Broccoli is ready, and that doesn't appear to be any time soon.
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