Oh yes folks, I’m still very much feeling the reverberations of the James Bond rumor mill being such a hot topic on the 2025 movie schedule. While we’re not technically closer to James Bond 26, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli’s recent decision to shift 007 creative control to Amazon-MGM Studios might change that. Like most loyalists of this cinematic legacy I’m still on the fence about what to expect, but there’s something that I am a little more hopeful about in this new era.
Amazon-MGM Studios Is Way More Open To James Bond Tie-Ins
The Wall Street Journal, through its own reporting on the rumored Amazon/Barbara Broccoli debacle, noted a pretty huge factor that’s always been a sticking point: tie-in media. The iron clad grip that EON Productions has always had on the mass media imprint for Ian Fleming’s creation has, at times, felt like a downside. So a potential bright spot in Amazon-MGM’s stewardship of Commander Bond is the fact that the flood gates could open for all sorts of projects - including my featured example, video games!
While Goldeneye 64 introduced a lot of 007 fans onto the market, the powers that be apparently weren’t too thrilled with its shoot ‘em up forward gameplay. To have not had a Bond video game on the market since 2012’s 007 Legends is dismaying to me, especially in the era of battle royales like Fortnite and RPGs such as Fallout. Both of those genres could be promising battlefields for 007 and his greatest foes to fight it out.
I know that’s supposed to change real soon, thanks to IO Interactive’s very mysterious Project 007, which was officially sanctioned by EON Productions. But at the same time, this positive does lead to my ever present concerns on how this potential “content pump” might flood us with some questionable moves.
I Still Have Concerns About EON Production’s Lack Of Creative Control
It figures that I’d be talking about wielding the 007 legacy like the One Ring, as the same corporate parent that is currently running The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is at the controller. My fears aren’t unfounded though, and the earliest signs we had were Amazon-MGM’s alleged notes on Bond 26’s tone. Meme-worthy marketing isn’t the only problem though, as the report that inspired this discussion also noted that when EON Productions was still in power, it wasn’t only video games that were rejected.
TV spinoffs, and more importantly “at least one tie-in casino” were apparently given the chop as well. Anyone who’s seen ads for online betting, or set foot into a major casino, would tell you that the amount of movie tie-in slots alone are kind of ridiculous at this point. Without the proper restrictions, I fear we’ll start to see 007 machines sitting alongside the units that already exist for crowdpleasers like The Big Bang Theory and Ghostbusters.
You have to wonder if EON’s previous experiences in marketing the franchise have led to the currently sparse era that doesn’t readily provide secret agent spy kit toys, or Visa commercials with Pierce Brosnan being asked for ID. And no, I’m not kidding about that last one, as you’ll see in the video provided below. (And yes, that is Christina Hendricks):
No matter how optimistic you feel on the matter, it cannot be denied that EON Productions had a steady hand when it came to James Bond. Even in the brand partnerships it did engage in, like the choice Daniel Craig Heineken ads full of comedy, there was a balance that seemed to harken back to Roger Moore-era camp.
I know that this is a bit of a shift from the optimism expressed earlier, but that’s what happens when a period of such uncertainty reigns. I’m still hopeful though, as the right attitude towards the 007 IP could give us some pretty amazing offerings that you don’t have to be a Bond villain to afford.
So long as it doesn’t go overboard or betray the integrity of the series, the sky really is the limit. But if I see Diamonds are Forever collections at Kay Jewelers, or anything similarly dubious, I’m afraid that’s when I’ll be as chilled and strained as a finely prepared martini - minus the obvious joy such a creation would bring.