Comrade Bond

God save Barbara Broccoli, defender of James Bond, the franchise that started all franchises.

According to numerous reports, notably the Wall Street Journal, there’s a damn good reason why the next 007 film has not been announced: Barbara Broccoli thinks that the folks at Amazon Studios are “fucking idiots”. Amazon purchased MGM, who control the distribution rights for the James Bond franchise. In sum, Broccoli “doesn’t trust algorithm-centric Amazon with a character she helped to mythologize through big-screen storytelling and gut instinct.” 

The official report from the WSJ is behind a paywall, but you can read about it here from Screencrush.com:

Read More: No Progress Has Been Made on Next James Bond Movie 

With the stranglehold that Big Tech has over our lives, our government, and our entertainment, I have to say that I am perfectly content with James Bond dying as he lived: by getting blown into smithereens by a missile strike in the Sea of Japan. If No Time To Die is his final appearance, so be it.

It’s not the way I’d want him to go considering that I’ve been obsessed with this goddamn franchise for 25 years. Without it, I’d know nothing of filmmaking and storytelling. But I’m a man of principle. And I’ll be damned if I let that real life Bond villain Jeff Bezos get his talons into this film legacy.

As of right now, there’s an Amazon workers strike in numerous locations around the US. In a sense, this means my Queen Barbara Broccoli, whom I swear allegiance to, and her brother Michael “G” Wilson stand in solidarity with those brave women and men. I know that the Broccoli’s are people of means. At face value, Barbara and Michael probably have more in common with Bezos than they have with you or me. Considering this, it’s likely that a deal can be struck at any moment. But I hold out hope. With this report, it reveals that Barbara and Michael have integrity; in standing up to Amazon, they carry on their father’s legacy.

I’m sure they’re contractually obligated to release their films through MGM via Amazon. I don’t know how one could get out of that without years of court battles. And even if they could, given the current state of the film industry, they’ll inevitably land a distribution deal with another Big Tech, “algorithmic-centered” firm. There’s no way to win.

But if they ever do get out from under the clutches of Amazon, then fuck it: let’s crowd source this shit! I’m telling ya Barbara, I’ll sell everything! And I mean EVERY goddamn thing if it means Eon Productions gets to maintain complete creative control of 007.