007 heading to streaming? Amazon buys MGM for $8.45 billion!

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  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    peter wrote: »
    I wouldn't be surprised if EoN is on a little "strike" themselves right now.

    I got news a few weeks ago that something big was going down.

    And I am now wondering if this is it:

    I knew about the proposal of the TV show-- I think I may've posted on this site about BB not being happy about this and she's not interested in discussing stretching the IP into a small screen series.

    That was the last I heard about this, until this article. And I assumed that this one misstep was Amazon's only misstep...

    But this article is possibly putting the text I received into more clear waters:

    Amazon fired/let-go of the two MGM execs that EoN enjoyed working with prior. Fine, that's their right as the new owners of MGM.

    BUT, if Ms. Broccoli submitted her desire for an experienced executive to work with, and THIS is the person Amazon have given her (a person, if you read the article, that had muddled through much of her position, and has not a lot of experience putting films together, AND she brought up the TV idea AGAIN...), then, yes, I see this as a very big deal.

    IF this is the case, I could see BB using her IP as leverage to get a new executive in charge of MGM who will work on ushering in the new Bond era.

    I could see EoN telling all who are at HQ to go home til this is resolved.

    Remember, Amazon can't fire Broccoli or Wilson.

    They need this duo more than this duo needs Amazon's $$$. They can afford to wait this out.

    Amazon may have more money than God-- as the article stated-- but they've got very weak management. Very weak.

    I was told something big was happening (and not in a "good way"), and that certain other things going on in film business was low priority at the moment... I couldn't figure out what could be so "ground-shaking"... But a mutiny and a boardroom war, theoretically, could be what is being played out behind closed doors.

    And it would be well within EoN's right to hold Amazon's feet to the fire on this one; theyre About to usher in a new era, and they can't have some novice at the helm of some BIGGGGG decisions that are on the table!!

    I don’t know what your source‘s definition of big is, but I could see a chain of events where EON and Amazon (Jennifer Salke) have a meeting to discuss where this is going after the takeover, Salke brings up a TV show and BB either resolves to or straight up says we’re not doing anything until you’ve put some grown ups who know how to produce a movie in front of me…
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    peter wrote: »
    I wouldn't be surprised if EoN is on a little "strike" themselves right now.

    I got news a few weeks ago that something big was going down.

    And I am now wondering if this is it:

    I knew about the proposal of the TV show-- I think I may've posted on this site about BB not being happy about this and she's not interested in discussing stretching the IP into a small screen series.

    That was the last I heard about this, until this article. And I assumed that this one misstep was Amazon's only misstep...

    But this article is possibly putting the text I received into more clear waters:

    Amazon fired/let-go of the two MGM execs that EoN enjoyed working with prior. Fine, that's their right as the new owners of MGM.

    BUT, if Ms. Broccoli submitted her desire for an experienced executive to work with, and THIS is the person Amazon have given her (a person, if you read the article, that had muddled through much of her position, and has not a lot of experience putting films together, AND she brought up the TV idea AGAIN...), then, yes, I see this as a very big deal.

    IF this is the case, I could see BB using her IP as leverage to get a new executive in charge of MGM who will work on ushering in the new Bond era.

    I could see EoN telling all who are at HQ to go home til this is resolved.

    Remember, Amazon can't fire Broccoli or Wilson.

    They need this duo more than this duo needs Amazon's $$$. They can afford to wait this out.

    Amazon may have more money than God-- as the article stated-- but they've got very weak management. Very weak.

    I was told something big was happening (and not in a "good way"), and that certain other things going on in film business was low priority at the moment... I couldn't figure out what could be so "ground-shaking"... But a mutiny and a boardroom war, theoretically, could be what is being played out behind closed doors.

    And it would be well within EoN's right to hold Amazon's feet to the fire on this one; theyre About to usher in a new era, and they can't have some novice at the helm of some BIGGGGG decisions that are on the table!!

    I don’t know what your source‘s definition of big is, but I could see a chain of events where EON and Amazon (Jennifer Salke) have a meeting to discuss where this is going after the takeover, Salke brings up a TV show and BB either resolves to or straight up says we’re not doing anything until you’ve put some grown ups who know how to produce a movie in front of me…

    As far as I know a TV series based off of Fleming’s characters is not something Broccoli is entertaining— ever. And she was clear on this.

    But Salke did pitch this idea to Broccoli again, and was shot down again.

    My feeling is, IF this is happening (and I’m theorizing), that Broccoli would want Salke gone with no compromises on EoN’s part.

    They want a creative and financial executive with experience who can usher in this new era.

    They don’t want a novice who’s never put a film like this together.

    That doesn’t mean Amazon fires Salke, they just shift her away from the MGM slate, and more specifically, the Bond films (in particular, 😂 ). They replace her with someone with loads of experience on big budget tent pole films.

    And I imagine that this HR article is embarrassing for Amazon— it’s obviously not just EoN who aren’t impressed with Salke but many others too…
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,183
    If Broccoli is gonna kickstart a new Bond actor’s run, she wants to have her ducks in a row. She has more than enough experience with MGM’s woes from the past 40 years to know what’s best for Bond. That’s more important than trying to appease fans’ impatience.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    @MakeshiftPython … I agree. And I think she herself will take as much time as she needs to get this right. And she needs an executive who has far more expertise at big tent pole pics than this person that Amazon plucked as head of MGM film.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited April 2023 Posts: 3,152
    It does seem remarkably obtuse for Amazon's first move to have been to 'let go' the very people at MGM about whom EON had said 'Our hope is that they (Amazon) will empower Mike and Pam to continue to run MGM unencumbered.' Within a month of the takeover, Amazon had basically done the exact opposite of what EON had publicly said that they wanted. Ok, I know de Luca and Abdy resigned, but the rumours of their impending removal were already circulating, so it was walk or be pushed. If Barbara Broccoli's now digging her heels in with Salke, there's a good reason. Coming back and pressing an already-rejected idea that goes against EON's ethos fits that bill.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,183
    Companies LOVE firing everyone from the old regime and installing their own. It’s really just a power trip move. Purely egotistical.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 3,152
    True enough, mate. It's just that they did it after EON more or less publicly asked them not to. Ever felt disregarded? I imagine EON did.
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    The question then is whether BB is satisfied now that there are at least real movie people at MGM eventhough they still have to report to Amazon Studios and Salke as CEO of that? I somehow can't imagine she would try to push her out completely. How would she even go about that? Call Bezos directly? But if her mind's set on it and she has the legal cover to basically say "we're not doing anything with Bond until she's gone" that would certainly be BIG. And would take a very long time to fight out.

    The other big thing would be that they are covertly trying to figure out ways to get out of the partnership with MGM. Again, that would be huge, but I don't know how realistic it is. AFAIK they hold shared copyright over the previous 25 films, so EON would basically have to cut off their head to spite their nose (to butcher an expression) and go with adaptations of the novels without any of the movie iconography which is something we thought we'd only see from someone other than EON once the novels go into the public domain at some point in the future. Very, very unlikely.

    Maybe the middle ground is that she just makes it clear that she will only talk with people at MGM and won't directly take meetings with or notes from anyone at the parent company which would kill any of the synergy deals (TV show, Bond films streaming on Prime, book deals through Amazon, merch partnerships etc.) we kind of expected to come down the pike.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    @ImpertinentGoon ,it's not just EoN upset with Salke and the job, or lack thereof, that's she's doing.

    That article was basically an expose of how incompetent this person has been.

    And Broccoli doesn't need to get her fired, as I stated above. But she can demand that Salke, because of lack of experience, be moved to another position-- which is fair. Bond isn't some small budget genre pic, it's a huge tent pole event production and needs people with experience to assist EoN... especially as they're developing a new era.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,383
    I think it's fascinating and certainly rings true. I don't necessarily blame Amazon for asking about a 007 TV show- I mean, if you had access to that IP and you produced TV shows, you would. But Ms Broccoli has been working on massive global blockbusters most of those guys were still in the mailroom: you don't mess with her.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    edited April 2023 Posts: 8,216
    I also wonder if there's a fear on BB's part that a television series inspired by Bond but not featuring him would cheapen the brand (similar to Treadstone in the Bourne "universe").
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,383
    I'm sure that's exactly her thought, yes. She's said in public that it's a cinematic series only, so it's a line in the sand, clearly drawn.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,183
    There’s a similar thing with DC live action television shows NEVER featuring Bruce Wayne/Batman because they’re very protective of that character and don’t want to cheapen his appeal on film. This is despite having TV shows centered on characters that are a part of Batman’s world, that character is always absent and has to be clumsily explained why he’s never around.
  • sandbagger1sandbagger1 Sussex
    edited April 2023 Posts: 942
    There’s a similar thing with DC live action television shows NEVER featuring Bruce Wayne/Batman because they’re very protective of that character and don’t want to cheapen his appeal on film. This is despite having TV shows centered on characters that are a part of Batman’s world, that character is always absent and has to be clumsily explained why he’s never around.
    Bruce Wayne is in several episodes of DC’s live-action show Titans.

    Edit: though I take your point in general - the Batman suit is rarely seen in live action tv.
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    Compare and contrast that with their plan for Citadel, as per the THR piece posted here:
    A far more costly and troubled production was the Russo brothers’ Citadel, which debuts on April 28. Anthony Russo says Salke first approached AGBO, the Russos’ production company, with a general concept of making a U.S. show with international foreign-language versions. AGBO came up with “a global spy show where you would have a mothership U.S. language show” alongside foreign-language versions in other countries, Russo says. The various versions are “related to one another, but they also exist independently and distinct from one another.” Some of the international shows may be set in different time periods, he adds.
    [...]
    Sources say the cost of the series climbed toward $300 million, making it Amazon’s second-most expensive show after LOTR.
    [...]
    While the original plan called for eight hourlong episodes, the show that will drop on Amazon in April ended up at six, roughly 40-minute episodes. Amazon has already renewed it for a second season of six hourlong episodes.

    Yeah, if you're Barbara Broccoli, something like that is just about the worst possible example of what you don't want Bond to become. You kind of have to commend her for that. Throughout the piece, it says that Amazon Studios under Salke massively overpays for stuff and EON could probably make absolute bank from them if the above is how they are running these projects. But Citadel is going to bomb and be forgotten, and BB doesn't want that for Bond, obviously...
  • sandbagger1sandbagger1 Sussex
    Posts: 942
    Citadel can’t possibly be as lacklustre as Treadstone, which despite lots of action managed to bore the hell out of me.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,383
    I was surprised when I read that bit about Citadel: I hadn't heard of it until a couple of weeks ago and it sounds like it's been a bit of a car crash. I'll watch it because, y'know: spies; but the trailer didn't wow me. Not quite as bad as the True Lies one that popped up around the sound time, but not enormously better.
    And then there's that one with Ana De Amas and Chris Evans: why are there so many spy couple things coming out, and why do they all look so dull?
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited April 2023 Posts: 3,152
    Yeah, if you're Barbara Broccoli, something like that is just about the worst possible example of what you don't want Bond to become. You kind of have to commend her for that.
    Definitely. BB's our best bet for preventing Amazon from strip-mining the asset for short-term returns.

  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    edited April 2023 Posts: 8,395
    On average it takes 3 years from the writer being hired to the release date to get a Bond film made + you add on time for recasting Bond and any writers strike/behind the scenes wrangling that may or may not be happening then we're talking about 5 years total. I think its possible we end up getting Bond 26 in spring 2027.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    On average it takes 3 years from the writer being hired to the release date to get a Bond film made + you add on time for recasting Bond and any writers strike/behind the scenes wrangling that may or may not be happening then we're talking about 5 years total. I think its possible we end up getting Bond 26 in spring 2027.

    Better late than never…….
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,183
    “But I want it NOWWWW”

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  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,395
    It's just weird because the film is likely 4 years away, the next actor is probably still in his 20's or very early 30's right now.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Who knows @Mendes4Lyfe ?…. it’s clear that EoN is just one of many producers with an issue with Amazon’s management.

    Let’s enjoy the films that sit on our shelf, and let this play out. There’s absolutely no predicting how long a management change at Amazon will take. If it happens at all (……..).

    As far as I’m concerned, BB proves again that she’s vital to the health of Bond. Imagine if they sold to Amazon? They’d be in development and preproduction on Bond-universe films and tv shows, giving us watered down productions.

    Whether you like the last era or not (and I didn’t like the Brosnan era, but didn’t worry since I knew a new era would bring a new tone), BB is the right gatekeeper for this series.
  • Posts: 133
    peter wrote: »
    As far as I’m concerned, BB proves again that she’s vital to the health of BondWhether you like the last era or not (and I didn’t like the Brosnan era, but didn’t worry since I knew a new era would bring a new tone), BB is the right gatekeeper for this series.
    I didn't like the Craig era and I'm not sure if the tone of the next era will be much different. To be honest, I'm pretty worried right now if I ever will enjoy new Bond movies again.
    The only positive aspect seems to me, that Broccoli thankfully won't allow TV series or Spin-off movies.

  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Kojak007 wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    As far as I’m concerned, BB proves again that she’s vital to the health of BondWhether you like the last era or not (and I didn’t like the Brosnan era, but didn’t worry since I knew a new era would bring a new tone), BB is the right gatekeeper for this series.
    I didn't like the Craig era and I'm not sure if the tone of the next era will be much different. To be honest, I'm pretty worried right now if I ever will enjoy new Bond movies again.
    The only positive aspect seems to me, that Broccoli thankfully won't allow TV series or Spin-off movies.

    I think it’s been clear in the history of the series, @Kojak007 , that every new actor brings their own tone and gifts to the role.

    We will never have another Connery run— there’s only one Connery.

    George Lazenby was a blank slate who tried, so whatever he brought to the role is also unique to him.

    We won’t get another Moore (no matter how hard Brosnan tried)— there’s only one Moore.

    There’s only one Dalton, Brozz and Craig.

    Each era benefited from the time they were made.

    So who knows, @Kojak007 … you may get something in the new era….

    But you’re right about BB.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,395
    peter wrote: »
    Who knows @Mendes4Lyfe ?…. it’s clear that EoN is just one of many producers with an issue with Amazon’s management.

    Let’s enjoy the films that sit on our shelf, and let this play out. There’s absolutely no predicting how long a management change at Amazon will take. If it happens at all (……..).

    As far as I’m concerned, BB proves again that she’s vital to the health of Bond. Imagine if they sold to Amazon? They’d be in development and preproduction on Bond-universe films and tv shows, giving us watered down productions.

    Whether you like the last era or not (and I didn’t like the Brosnan era, but didn’t worry since I knew a new era would bring a new tone), BB is the right gatekeeper for this series.

    @peter I'll agree when she delivers a Bond film that appeals to more than the diehard craig fans.

    I have no problem with the Craig fans enjoying their era, but we have to move on and show some growth away from the same tropes they've been using since the 2000's.

    If the next film successfully recaptures the oldschool flair and swagger of bond that so many are looking for, and gives us the larger than life cinema experience we've been craving, I'll be the first one singing babs praises trust me.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    @Mendes4Lyfe ... Uhm??? The success of the Craig era was based on worldwide box office, and repeat customers... These weren't "die hard " Craig fantastics...

    And did you read my post? I said with each new actor something new comes along with it.

    I suggest slowing down and reading articles and posts three times over before posting, lol...

  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,395
    peter wrote: »
    @Mendes4Lyfe ... Uhm??? The success of the Craig era was based on worldwide box office, and repeat customers... These weren't "die hard " Craig fantastics...

    And did you read my post? I said with each new actor something new comes along with it.

    I suggest slowing down and reading articles and posts three times over before posting, lol...

    @peter you said you didn't like brosnan, but they changed course into something you did like.

    my opinion of babs is dependant on whether she can do the same for the fans who want a return of the classic mission based adventure, or if she ignores them.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    edited April 2023 Posts: 9,509
    I said, @Mendes4Lyfe ,that I didn't like the Brosnan Era, but "didn't worry since I knew a new era would bring a new tone"...

    (Which is a clunky sentence-- that's what you should have zeroed in on)...

    Like I said: read articles and posts three times before replying, lol.

    I didn't know what would come after Brozz, just as you have no idea what's coming after Craig. The point is, EoN make films for the GLOBAL AUDIENCE and not for some guy in Toronto, or some guy who goes by Mendes4Lyfe.

    It's called the film business, because it is a business and they have the unenviable task to assess what is the best film that could bring in the most eyeballs. It's a massive crap shoot and they know they're going to piss off people who take their films as a personal affront against them. But so long as there are more butts in seats, than not, they're doing their job!

    That's what all studios and films set out to do.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,395
    peter wrote: »
    I said, @Mendes4Lyfe ,that I didn't like the Brosnan Era, but "didn't worry since I knew a new era would bring a new tone"...

    (Which is a clunky sentence-- that's what you should have zeroed in on)...

    Like I said: read articles and posts three times before replying, lol.

    I didn't know what would come after Brozz, just as you have no idea what's coming after Craig. The point is, EoN make films for the GLOBAL AUDIENCE and not for some guy in Toronto, or some guy who goes by Mendes4Lyfe.

    It's called the film business, because it is a business and they have the unenviable task to assess what is the best film that could bring in the most eyeballs. It's a massive crap shoot and they know they're going to piss off people who take their films as a personal affront against them. But so long as there are more butts in seats, than not, they're doing their job!

    That's what all studios and films set out to do.

    Yeah, and the market for people wanting a return of classic bond is so wide even other franchises like mission impossible and john wick have moved in to take advantage of that fervor.
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