Amid all of the conflicting reports about whether Daniel Craig would return to star as James Bond (he will) and the constant back-and-forth over who will direct the 25th installment in the iconic franchise, something even more important has been happening behind-the-scenes. Of course, I'm talking about the bidding war currently underway for the distribution rights for James Bond. For those in the industry, this is common knowledge. But for audiences with only a passing interest in movies, this story has probably gone mostly unnoticed, which is a shame. What started as a simple fight between the big studios for the rights to one of the most powerful franchises in the world has turned into a complex commentary on the current state of the entertainment industry- where we are, where we will be, and the competing forces that will take us there.
Let's start with some backstory- Bond is owned by Metro Goldwyn-Meyer Pictures and Eon Productions, which is owned and operated by the Broccoli family. The company was founded by original Bond producers Harry Saltzman and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, and is currently run by Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Few production companies are as protective over their franchise as Eon is over Bond. This is their baby, and they know how much it's worth. And because of that, they got a special amount of say in what studios are involved with their films. Since the Daniel Craig era began, Bond has been distributed by Sony Pictures, and for the most part, they've been good to the franchise. Skyfall grossed a stunning $1.108 billion worldwide (enough to make it the 17th highest grossing film ever made), and Spectre's $880 million box office total wasn't bad either.
But Sony Pictures is kind of a mess, and with the sole exception of this summer's Baby Driver, they've hit tough times recently. For context, they're the people behind The Emoji Movie and The Dark Tower. Yeah, not exactly an impressive resume. Nonetheless, you can guarantee that they'll be in the running for Bond again, a fact that was confirmed earlier this year by The New York Times. Back in April, the paper reported that there were 5 studios in the running for the distribution rights- Sony, Warner Bros., Universal, 20th Century Fox, and Annapurna. Most of the attention at that point was centered around the latter studio, Megan Ellison's production company that jumped into the distribution game for the first time this summer with Kathryn Bigelow's disappointing Detroit. Despite the industry's surprise at their inclusion in the race, Annapurna was never viewed as a viable threat.
However, Annapurna's attempt to snag the rights to Bond worked mainly as foreshadowing for what happened last week. It was widely reported that Apple and Amazon had both entered the race for Bond, a move that has the potential to change the entire landscape of Hollywood. Amazon has gained entry into the metaphorical studio club through their focus on theatrical releases before taking films to streaming, but Apple has not yet found a way into the original cinematic content game. This makes them an unlikely suitor for Bond, but even the mere fact that they're throwing their hat in the ring makes this worthy of mention. Because yeah, these minor studios won't get Bond. The Broccoli family holds too much value on prestige to ever do anything like that.
But one day, one of these studios will get their hands on the rights to a major franchise. Just last month, Netflix acquired the rights to Millarworld, the comics universe from the writer of Kick-Ass and Kingsman: The Secret Service. That isn't Bond, but it's far from nothing. The fact that companies like Amazon and Apple are joining the race for everyone's favorite superspy shows that they mean business, and they're breathing down the necks of the major studios. They have the money, and now they want to play ball. Amazon has already mounted a successful Oscar campaign for Manchester by the Sea (with the potential for more this year), Apple is still one of the savviest companies on the planet when it comes to marketing products, and Netflix has created some of the most prominent TV brands south of Game of Thrones. If you're one of the Hollywood biggies, these are threats that must be taken seriously.
At this point, the big studios have built a wall around the idea of blockbusters based on brands. They are clinging to the idea of the event movie as their savior. The mid-level and small-budget movies that once existed as their bread and butter are vanishing. Warner Bros. is reportedly avoiding working with auteur directors (Christopher Nolan is excluded from this, of course) in order to focus on maintaining their brands. But what happens when one of these emerging streaming giants gets their hands on a real cinematic brand? Maybe it won't be Bond, but what if it's something else in the future?
These companies are still in their infancy when it comes to movies. Amazon has mastered the art of getting you packages in 24 hours, but they haven't yet had to manage a billion dollar intellectual property. Netflix is great at original TV shows, but as Indiewire's David Ehrlich noted in an excellent piece, they've buried many of their original films. Amazon won't get Bond. Apple won't get Bond. As far as I know, Netflix hasn't even expressed an interest in the character. But this bidding war exists as a kind of litmus test, a warning sign of where we're going. Amazon is cementing their legitimacy within the community every single day. Netflix has created great original movies and TV shows, and they have a very good shot of getting into the Oscar race. They are a legitimate threat, and they will find a way to get their slice of the pie.
And as Forbes writer Scott Mendelson mentioned in his April breakdown of the rights fight- this is only a one-picture deal. Whoever gets the rights to Bond will have to fight for them even harder after Bond 25 is released in 2019- and I can only imagine that Netflix and Amazon will be stronger by then. How much longer can MGM hold onto the old studio model if Jeff Bezos or Ted Sarandos is willing to give a dump truck full of money to the Broccoli family? I know that some of the new models have not yet proved to be sustainable, but this is unquestionably something to watch in the coming years. The battle for the rights to James Bond is only the beginning- if you're the studios, this is a nightmare waiting to happen. The theatrical model is slowly slipping away, and should a major franchise fall out of the hands of the big 6, that is certainly cause for concern.
Images courtesy of Sony
Poster: IMDB
However, Annapurna's attempt to snag the rights to Bond worked mainly as foreshadowing for what happened last week. It was widely reported that Apple and Amazon had both entered the race for Bond, a move that has the potential to change the entire landscape of Hollywood. Amazon has gained entry into the metaphorical studio club through their focus on theatrical releases before taking films to streaming, but Apple has not yet found a way into the original cinematic content game. This makes them an unlikely suitor for Bond, but even the mere fact that they're throwing their hat in the ring makes this worthy of mention. Because yeah, these minor studios won't get Bond. The Broccoli family holds too much value on prestige to ever do anything like that.
But one day, one of these studios will get their hands on the rights to a major franchise. Just last month, Netflix acquired the rights to Millarworld, the comics universe from the writer of Kick-Ass and Kingsman: The Secret Service. That isn't Bond, but it's far from nothing. The fact that companies like Amazon and Apple are joining the race for everyone's favorite superspy shows that they mean business, and they're breathing down the necks of the major studios. They have the money, and now they want to play ball. Amazon has already mounted a successful Oscar campaign for Manchester by the Sea (with the potential for more this year), Apple is still one of the savviest companies on the planet when it comes to marketing products, and Netflix has created some of the most prominent TV brands south of Game of Thrones. If you're one of the Hollywood biggies, these are threats that must be taken seriously.
At this point, the big studios have built a wall around the idea of blockbusters based on brands. They are clinging to the idea of the event movie as their savior. The mid-level and small-budget movies that once existed as their bread and butter are vanishing. Warner Bros. is reportedly avoiding working with auteur directors (Christopher Nolan is excluded from this, of course) in order to focus on maintaining their brands. But what happens when one of these emerging streaming giants gets their hands on a real cinematic brand? Maybe it won't be Bond, but what if it's something else in the future?
These companies are still in their infancy when it comes to movies. Amazon has mastered the art of getting you packages in 24 hours, but they haven't yet had to manage a billion dollar intellectual property. Netflix is great at original TV shows, but as Indiewire's David Ehrlich noted in an excellent piece, they've buried many of their original films. Amazon won't get Bond. Apple won't get Bond. As far as I know, Netflix hasn't even expressed an interest in the character. But this bidding war exists as a kind of litmus test, a warning sign of where we're going. Amazon is cementing their legitimacy within the community every single day. Netflix has created great original movies and TV shows, and they have a very good shot of getting into the Oscar race. They are a legitimate threat, and they will find a way to get their slice of the pie.
And as Forbes writer Scott Mendelson mentioned in his April breakdown of the rights fight- this is only a one-picture deal. Whoever gets the rights to Bond will have to fight for them even harder after Bond 25 is released in 2019- and I can only imagine that Netflix and Amazon will be stronger by then. How much longer can MGM hold onto the old studio model if Jeff Bezos or Ted Sarandos is willing to give a dump truck full of money to the Broccoli family? I know that some of the new models have not yet proved to be sustainable, but this is unquestionably something to watch in the coming years. The battle for the rights to James Bond is only the beginning- if you're the studios, this is a nightmare waiting to happen. The theatrical model is slowly slipping away, and should a major franchise fall out of the hands of the big 6, that is certainly cause for concern.
Images courtesy of Sony
Poster: IMDB
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