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Former Disney CEO Bob Iger says the company was eyeing the James Bond franchise before Amazon swooped in and made the purchase.
"It was like the clouds lifted and the sun started to shine again," Iger told the Financial Times, in regards to Disney buying Pixar. "We felt unstoppable. We put together a list of acquisition targets. Marvel was one, Star Wars was another, James Bond was one. We had a list and I figured let’s just tick them off and buy them all."
Rumors of Disney acquiring James Bond came out about in 2017, with Iger hinting at a plan to acquire the franchise in 2019. There was little to no news about which billion-dollar conglomerate would make the purchase until the shock announcement came in 2025 when longtime producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli effectively sold creative control over to Amazon for $20 million (though it was rumored to be a much higher amount). Around the same time, reports claimed that Broccoli was unhappy with Amazon's plans for the franchise, which supposedly involved turning Bond into a cinematic universe, complete with a Moneypenny prequel spin-off.
Denis Villeneuve is set to direct the new pic, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight currently hard at work on the script. Casting is currently underway.
The upcoming, untitled James Bond movie is expected to hit theaters sometime in 2028. For more on 007, check our guide to the best James Bond movies, or see the best Prime Video movies to add to your watchlist right now.
