Future of James Bond hangs in balance amid stand off between Barbara Broccoli and Amazon following $6.5 billion MGM purchase

It's been just over three years since Daniel Craig's last James Bond film No Time To Die hit theaters, and we're seemingly no closer to learning who the new 007 is than we were then.

While there have been large gaps between Bond eras, like the six years between Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan, there typically isn't longer than a two-year wait for Bond films, even in a regime change. 

For the past 30 years, the James Bond franchise has been controlled by produers Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of original Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli, and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson. 

Just a few months after Craig's last foray into the 007 universe, Amazon plunked down a whopping $6.5 billion to acquire Bond distributor MGM.

It seems the future of the franchise that started with Sean Connery's Dr. No in 1962 is in dire straights, according to a new report from Wall Street Journal. 

The producers and Amazon are at an impasse, with Amazon demanding ideas for new Bond movies though Broccoli has seemingly no interest in making them with Amazon.

Daily Mail has reached out to Broccoli's Eon Productions for comment on this new report. 

Broccoli, 64, who has more fully taken the reins of the franchise as her 82-year-old brother nears retirement, has told friends that the people at Amazon are, 'f***ing idiots.' 

Broccoli has complained that Amazon - best known for its e-commerce platform more than its Prime Video streaming service - isn't a great fit for the super-spy.

She is clearly content with holding the character hostage, as it were, refusing to develop any new films under Amazon.

Broccoli did insist that Amazon commit to theatrical releases, and her Eon Productions company retains full creative control over the franchise.

Amazon's Jennifer Salke was tasked with dealing with Broccoli, with insiders claiming Broccoli was turned off almost immediately when Salke referred to the franchise as 'content.' 

There have been many discussions about who should play 007 next, with some believing they should go so far to cast a Black man or even possiblly a gay man or a woman.

Broccoli has no issues with hiring a Black or gay man as the next Bond, but she reportedly insists that Bond must be a man, and that man must be British.

Back in June 2022, just months after Amazon acquired MGM, Broccoli said at a BFI event that a new Bond film was not coming too soon.

'I'd say that filming is at least two years away. It's a reinvention of Bond,' Broccoli said at the time, insisting they had no one in mind to play 007 yet.

She added that work on the new script had not even started yet, since they wanted to make a casting decision first.

Two years later, the only 007-related project Eon has produced was the 2023 reality series 007: One in a Million, hosted by Brian Cox, following nine ordinary people who embark in a global Bond-like adventure in hopes of winning 1 million pounds. 

There is work under way on a second season, though it's unclear when production may begin or when it may be released.