In case you haven’t heard the seismic shift that occurred in the world of James Bond movies, allow me to recap. Thanks to producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson’s participation in a joint venture, Amazon-MGM Studios has creative control over 007. While EON Productions will continue to co-own the cinematic legacy of Ian Fleming’s literary icon, Commander Bond’s cinematic universe is now in the hands of its studio partner.
While these events are seen by some loyal followers as cause for concern, there’s a chance that James Bond 26 could find itself on a rather accelerated trajectory into production. So pretending for a moment that I’m actually the person in charge of this storied property, here’s what I’d want to happen ASAP in order to help things run as smoothly as possible for studio players and fans alike.
The Entire James Bond Collection Needs To Be Added Back To Prime Video
Seriously, this gesture is the least Amazon-MGM Studios could do to herald this news. And I’m not talking about a limited selection of entries, as we played that game during 2025’s streaming James Bond Day celebration. It’s time for this relatively fresh streamer/studio hybrid to take full ownership over the James Bond catalogue and keep it online for more than a month.
While we're at it, Casino Royale's pre-EON adaptations, as well as Never Say Never Again should be included in the mix. Though they're not official films and are currently out of print on physical media, there are plenty of viewers who will be curious to check them out for the oddities they are.
A 4K Box Set Of The EON Productions Bond Movies Is Essential
While we’re at it, one of the biggest missed opportunities that fans called out during 2022’s 60th Anniversary celebration was a 4K reissue of the 007 adventures on physical media. We already know that there are already versions showing off everything reaching back to Dr. No in dazzling detail, as 2020’s Prime Video debut for James Bond showed in the early days of quarantine.
All we’re missing is a generous bundle that includes special features and easy-to-access packaging that doesn’t threaten the discs like the Bond 50 collection did. That seems to be half fulfilled thanks to the new features Prime Video added through last fall's Global James Bond Day festivities.
Amazon-MGM Studios Needs To Define How They Want To Expand The 007 World
With Barbara Broccoli’s alleged drama with Amazon-MGM presumably at an end, the floodgates are open to every single idea studio executives have been pitching. On the more conservative end of things, discussions over Bond 26’s tone might be a bit easier to walk through in the immediate aftermath.
But moving into the greater sphere of spinoffs, streaming series, etc, this studio home base needs to decide whether to pursue such blue sky ideas. For the pitches that make it into later phases of consideration, the next question will be whether or not a hypothetical Moneypenny Diaries series would be connected to, or independent of, the theatrical films.
The James Bond Brass Need To Consider If This Is A Reboot Or A Continuation
One of the rumors that’s consistently floated around in the world of 007 is the possibility of somehow “remaking” the pictures based on Ian Fleming’s original books. Most notably, a lot of people want to see the Cold War period of tomes like From Russia with Love being reskinned with a more accurate representation of their literary origin.
Even putting the books aside, there’s a chance that Amazon-MGM Studios could take its cue from No Time To Die’s explosive ending and start fresh from square one. Ultimately, I'm asking the next caretakers of the 007 flame to learn from the mistakes of On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Diamonds are Forever, and keep in mind the sort of continuity they're looking to achieve.
A Decision Must Be Made About The James Bond Writing Team
No matter if the road ahead is a totally clean slate or a progression of EON Productions’ strategies of making a James Bond movie, the writing team of Neal Purvis and Robert Wade is going to be the focal point of one of the crucial choices ahead. Ever since 1999’s The World is Not Enough, these scribes have helped shape 007’s adventures with whatever other writers would come aboard for a particular story.
Obviously there's always a chance that this could change with the series' new digs. Personally, I'd love to see Purvis & Wade stay on to at least hand the torch off to a new team, if only to give them a full understanding of what came before.
Martin Campbell Should Direct Bond 26
As he’s said on numerous occasions, two-time James Bond director Martin Campbell would absolutely be game for signing on for another spin of the wheel. That decision would naturally depend on whether the powers-soon-to-be would consider him for the post, provided Campbell can find an interesting Bond hook to tackle.
Since it looks like a much larger reinvention than originally planned might be in the works, it only feels fair to let the director of Goldeneye and Casino Royale go for the hat trick. That, and as we've seen through films like Cleaner and The Protégé, Campbell's still got it when it comes to directing solid action.
Most Importantly, We Need A New James Bond Cast
Did I overlook any details in my view to a kill-ing the delay for James Bond 26? Surely not, because as we’ve all been reminded over the course of the last couple of years, you kind of need a new 007 to launch the next chapter. Not just that role needs to be filled, however, because if we’re going to start with the entire MI6 family, we’ll need a new M, Moneypenny and Q to be along for the ride.
Of course, that’s if those in charge aren’t fans of the slow burn strategy seen in the soft reboot Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies provided. No matter what ends up being the method of choice, you need a Bond before you can build. But with that in mind, it’s anyone's guess as to when we’ll see any forward momentum starting to gather as we meet the next gun barrel with cautious enthusiasm and an open mind.
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