Following the shock news that the James Bond franchise is now under the control of Amazon, a former Bond girl has shared her concerns about how ‘British’ it will be going forward
A James Bond star has shared their hot take on the recent James Bond news which has caused a stir amongst fans.
Bond girl Valerie Leon has hit out at the decision to pass the fate of the James Bond film franchise to Amazon, following their acquisition of MGM Studios that has left fans fuming.
The bombshell has shared her concerns that the iconic British identity of the much-loved film series will be lost, now that Amazon holds the intellectual property rights and will have creative control over 007 and any future films.
Valerie appeared in The Spy Who Loved Me and Never Say Never Again, alongside Sir Roger Moore and Sir Sean Connery. The star, now 81-years-old, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain her thoughts.
She said: “Life changes, and everything moves on and changes. The Bond franchise was very British and it won’t be anymore. If they make films they won’t go into the cinema… Everything is so changed now, it just won’t be the same and I’m very old-fashioned anyway.”
The revelation of the transfer has left fans reeling, however Barbara Broccoli’s production company will retain co-ownership. Fans, film critics and stars are all now wondering what will come next for the spy, as there has been no new actor announced to replace Daniel Craig, who made his final appearance in No Time To Die back in 2021.
There has been much speculation over who will take on the role, with names such as Tom Hardy, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Henry Cavill and Tom Hiddleston being thrown in the ring. Amazon acquired MGM in 2022, which granted them the distribution rights and creative control over Bond.
Broccoli is said to be going to do “other projects”. Members of the American-British Broccoli family have overseen the films from the very start. A statement on Thursday revealed the Broccoli family and Amazon MGM Studios “have formed a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights, and those parties will remain co-owners of the franchise.”
“Under the terms of the new venture, Amazon MGM Studios will gain creative control of the James Bond franchise following closing of the transaction,” the statement added.
Barbara and her half-brother, Michael G Wilson, have produced the last nine Bond films. They were responsible for overseeing Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Spectre and No Time To Die.
It didn’t take long for Jeff Bezos to post about the news, as he shared a message on social media, asking fans: “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” The deal is expected to close in 2025, according to the PA news agency.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
