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Perhaps we as fans are over exaggerating this situation as it is now, at least to some extent (I have no doubt these tensions existed and continue to do so which put a stall in Bond, but it's likely we're a month/even further from the content of what the initial article was about. Obviously we know EON are developing CCBB for them now). But I don't know. It's really impossible for us to say.
Ultimately yes, I reckon (and personally hope) there'll be reconciliation on some level rather than one side crushing the other. Barbara Broccoli likely won't crush the oligarchic tyrants that are Amazon, and Jeff Bezos won't march in and slap EON around to make a new Bond film. It's always been the case with these things. It'll likely lead to problems down the line as previous actions have now, but this is the nature of it. They can only take each situation as it comes. Hopefully it eventually leads to EON making a film they're proud of, a majority of us fans and viewers enjoying said film, and Amazon/MGM getting their profits.
I believe the death of Bond is significant for the following reasons:
1) No or very little forward thinking/planning from Eon. As James Bond was killed at the end of NTTD there is no clear route forward. Ian Fleming never wrote nor established a multiverse where an infinite number of Bonds existed. Each Bond novel featured one James Bond set in the 1950s/60s cold war era. Fleming never killed off Bond so never had to use a narrative gimmick to bring him back to life. As Eon did kill Bond they have to find a narrative gimmick to bring him back to life. Is Bond 26 going to be a period set film? Is Bond 26 set in a new multiverse? Will there be any explanation in press junkets why/how Bond is dead in one film but alive in the next?
Bond 26 is the first time in franchise history there has to be a complete reboot of Bond's world so it's reasonable to assume Amazon can exploit that to their advantage. They can say to Eon "Bond 26 is a complete reboot not a continuation of Bond 25 so we think Bond should be changed. We want Bond to be more tolerant of others. He is pro the #me too movement and other groups in society that have been ignored in the past. As Bond died in NTTD we feel it's time to make Bond more international. We want Bond to be based in the US. That's his new home and he works for the CIA and MI6. A dual role. We feel this makes the character less UK-centric. The old Bond was too much about upholding the values of the British empire. We don't want that. If he's working for the CIA it makes him feel modern.
And Bond 26 is Bond Begins. This is Bond's first mission. We know you did that plotline in Casino Royale but Craig never looked that young. We need a late 20s or early 30s actor in the role. Based on our research we want Bond 26 to start with Bond as a boy and he finds out his parents have died in a boating accident. Mountain accidents doesn't sound right for the demographic. Boating accidents feels more relevant as gen z and gen alpha like flashy cars and sport boats. Bond's parents own a flashy boat. We sew Bond's grief when his parents die, kinda like Bruce Waybe/Batman vibe. We see Bond at a US private school and he has a few adventures at the school then we jump forward to Bond at MI6 getting his 00 rank. Soon after he moves to the US and is granted CIA agent status. We're adamant Bond Begins with three actors playing Bond one as a boy, teenager and then adult - is the way to to reboot Bond. We have a list of non white actors that could work in the part but we have no issue keeping Bond white. Get back to us with your notes and let's arrange a release date. We don't want this dragging on for too long. Bond 26 in 2026 is our aim. Get your reps to reply a.s.a.p."
Now all of the above is avoided if Bond hadn't died in NTTD. If Bond remains alive in NTTD then you carry on the exact same timeline into Bond 26. No reboot necessary (apart from recasting Bond). Eon would go into discussion/negotiation with Amazon with a better hand, in a stronger position. No Bond dead so no complete reboot necessary! By letting Bond die they've allowed Amazon to exploit the franchise. It's got to be a complete reboot and Amazon can say "well we really think Bond should be like this or do that yadda yadda yadda."
This was less likely had Bond 26 not been a complete reboot. Eon never had any long term plan beyond Bond 25? I doubt it.
2) Negligence by Eon Productions. Unfortunately this has to be expressed. The truth many fans don't want to accept is the fact it's gross negligence to kill off your golden goose. If you have the most enduring action hero in film history why would you kill him off? That's insane. Bond is Eon's golden goose. It is a profitable asset. If McDonald's announced "we've decided to axe the Big Mac. It is one of our most iconic burgers but we feel it's time for a change..." - people would think "that's a crazy decision." You don't kill your golden goose. You don't kill off your U.S.P. Your unique selling point. But Eon Productions has.
I accept Bond will rise from the dead - the character is now immortal - but why kill him in the first place? By killing him off you cheapen the sense of danger. Bond is no longer mortal. Who cares if he's blown apart in one film! He's alive and well in the next! 🙄 Eon have cheapened Bond. He's now immortal so the tangible sense of danger is gone or lessened. In my opinion this is negligence by Eon and they have tarnished and undermined the trajectory of the franchise. It's ironic that Barbara Broccoli is alleged to have called Amazon "f--ing idiots." Maybe the idiocy is Eon.
And that would be very restrictive to the storytelling and the character.
2. We don't need to guess whether BB and MGW care or not, we have an article telling us how much BB cares. We don't need to guess. We have reports. And it looks like she's protecting the character from Amazon (and probably some fans desire's for just anything to come).
Amazon and Eon's disagreements have nothing to do with the decision of killing Bond. In fact, they actually want to produce more content, so clearly they couldn't care less about Bond's fate in NTTD, they just want new stuff with him.
However, it appears that for some, nothing short of a literal line-by-line recreation of Fleming's novels onscreen will suffice.
That’s all highly condescending. The Bond franchise is what it is because of the Broccoli family. I may not agree with every creative choice they make but I certainly trust EON over Amazon. EON, and all their creative partners and employees, created the cinematic Bond. This isn’t just a fight over money or metrics, it’s a fight for the soul of the movie business. If Amazon can make the producers of one of the most celebrated and successful media franchises in the history of the world roll over, then no one and no movie is safe.
Imagine SP was Craig's last Bond. The ending seems to be written with that in mind. A new actor is cast for Bond 25 or NTTD. Now it might be trickier to have a stale mate as we have an actor we have a story direction, etc.
The fact that no actor is ready or signed, means that a stand off is easier to navigate
Not some, MOST.
We’re talking about a movie with an 83% RT and a 88% audience score. We’re talking about a movie that almost made $800m worldwide and was well-received and well-liked. I'm not letting the Bond community do that BS thing it always does where it tries to warp reality itself.
I’ve always said, every time posts about Bond are made online 90% of the comments are either demanding a new Bond or asking when a new Bond will be announced.
Folks like bondywondy trying to paint Bond’s death as some major cataclysmic event that destroys the fabric of reality are just being overdramatic and overthinking.