Amazon is managing the James Bond franchise under the MGM studio, collaborating with notable producers David Heyman, known for the Harry Potter series, and Amy Pascal from the Spider-Man films. According to initial reports, senior executives at Amazon MGM, including Mike Hopkins, Jen Salke, and Courtney Valenti, have selected these two prominent producers and are currently negotiating terms with them.
Heyman, a British producer, acquired the film rights to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, which led to the production of eight films, plus three from the Fantastic Beasts series. He has also worked on acclaimed projects like Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story and White Noise, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
Pascal served as the chairman of Sony’s film division until 2015, overseeing Bond films such as Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall. She departed following controversy surrounding a leaked email incident in which she suggested she made a racially insensitive joke involving Barack Obama. Since leaving Sony, Pascal has produced the Spider-Man films featuring Tom Holland and animated Spider-Verse spin-offs, and is currently involved with Gerwig’s adaptations of the Narnia stories.
In an unexpected move, Amazon acquired the rights to the Bond franchise in February for over $1 billion from long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, gaining complete creative control. Shortly after the acquisition became public, Amazon’s executive chairman Jeff Bezos took to social media to inquire, “Who chose the next Bond?”
