'Bitter' Behind-the-Scenes Feud May Explain Delay in New James Bond Movies

If you're waiting for the next James Bond movie, apparently, you'll have to wait much, much longer. A new report has emerged that suggests that the reason we haven't heard any news about a new film in the Bond franchise is because the keepers of the Bond flame are locked in a "bitter" battle with Amazon.

According to the Wall Street Journal, and reported by outlets like JoBlo, "There is a stalemate between Amazon MGM Studios and EON Productions." Since 1962, EON (which stands for "Everything Or Nothing") is the family business that has managed the film rights to the character of James Bond. Back in 2021, Amazon merged with MGM, giving that company, in theory, more creative control over the future of James Bond. This, for some longtime fans, writers, and experts, was a worrying move. The strength of the Bond franchise had, for sixty years, been that it essentially did its own thing, regardless of what studios or market research might have suggested.

The new reports—which are not official statements—have revealed that the head of EON, Barbara Broccoli, is so frustrated with Amazon that she has (again, allegedly) said: "These people are f--king morons.”

Related: Daniel Craig Does Care About the Next James Bond, Despite What He's Said

But what is the source of the creative disagreements over James Bond's future? This is slightly murkier, but it seems that Amazon is interested in creating a variety of James Bond TV spinoffs, which could suggest a Marvel-like approach to the 007 franchise. It makes sense that the Broccoli family would be, possibly, opposed to this strategy. After all, across twenty-five films, the franchise has been successful by being reserved with its output. By 20th-century standards, Bond might be the most successful film franchise of all time, but it accomplished that with a very less-is-more strategy.

For all the extravagance of Bond in the films, the franchise has always succeeded because less, when it comes to 007, is more. Here's hoping that Amazon can figure out a way to understand that, and give us all a great new James Bond for the modern era.