The name’s fatigue. Franchise fatigue. James Bond has been around for nearly 60 years and has kept things fresh with a revolving door of new actors playing the 00-agent and, for now, attention focused solely on just a mainline series.
Following Amazon’s acquisition of MGM, which owns the Bond franchise and its license to print money, Skyfall co-writer John Logan has penned an essay for The New York Times outlining his concern over the deal and what it means for James Bond.
"When I heard this news, a chill went through me," Logan wrote. "Having worked as a writer on Skyfall and Spectre, I know that Bond isn’t just another franchise, not a Marvel or a DC."
For Logan, his work under producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson made him feel less like an "employee" and more part of a family. That could change, Logan feels, under Amazon – despite MGM reportedly regaining 50 percent ownership and creative control.
"What happens if a bruising corporation like Amazon begins to demand a voice in the process? What happens to the comradeship and quality control if there’s an Amazonian overlord with analytics parsing every decision?" Logan pondered.
For Logan, the current producers are "champions" of the franchise, saying "that’s why we don’t have a mammoth Bond Cinematic Universe."
The underlying concern is that there’s an expectation that Amazon will seemingly deliver a Marvel-style shared universe with multiple spinoffs and series. That could, in turn, dilute the Bond experience in favor of retaining subscribers and continuing to grow the Amazon brand.
Whether that happens remains to be seen. Bond is entering multiple swansongs this year. Alongside the new paymasters is the upcoming 25th James Bond movie, No Time to Die, which marks Daniel Craig’s fifth and final appearance as 007. From there, a new Bond must be cast and then a cloudy future awaits. If John Logan has his way, it’ll be nothing but a singular Bond experience – for our eyes only.
Fancy a 007 rewatch before Bond 25? Here’s how to leave your weekends shaken and stirred with our guide on how to watch the James Bond movies in order.
