You could hear a metaphorical pin drop on the 2025 movie schedule when the news of Amazon-MGM’s James Bond deal hit. As the deal to co-own the 007 legacy with EON Productions has closed, the studio now has creative control, with two new producers running the show.
One could be under the impression that the house is being cleaned in order to put Commander Bond back on the fast track, and the latest hint at that possibility comes in a rather high level departure.
Jennifer Salke’s Tenure At Amazon-MGM Studios Comes To A Potentially Embattled Close
In terms of the black and white facts, what anyone can truly say is that Amazon-MGM Studios’ head of film and television, Jennifer Salke, has stepped down. Per news broken earlier by Deadline, the seven year veteran will no longer oversee the operations that have shepherded Prime Video subscription drivers like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, as well as award nominated pictures such as Cold War.
But digging deeper into the world of rumor, unnamed sources have been putting down pieces to the puzzle that have started to reveal the bigger picture. At least, that’s if claims like the following are to be believed:
Sources said that Broccoli did not get on well with [Jennifer] Salke. When the Wall Street Journal detailed the disregard that Broccoli felt for Salke, owner Jeff Bezos took notice.
Should that claim be proven accurate, then we may have found one of the unnamed Amazon executives Barbara Broccoli allegedly roasted when she was reported to have called out the “fucking idiots” that were gumming up the James Bond works. Which, in turn, also boosts the validity of the rumors that Jeff Bezos’ blank check Bond buyout offer supposedly coming once he'd read those remarks.
That’s a lot of drama and rumor to wade through, no question. But when something as huge as the future of the James Bond movies is on the line, people tend to pay attention. And in looking a little closer at another portion of Jennifer Salke’s rumored troubles, I think the deck is stacked in 007’s favor for the near future.
Amazon-MGM’s James Bond Deal May Already Include A Key Player For Acceleration
Further along in the report cited above are some intriguing whispers from the recent dealings that signed current James Bond producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman. While the scenario laid out below isn’t exactly confirmed, it does provide an opportunity for synergy if it checks out:
It was evident Salke had lost luster in the executive suite when she was largely absent from the deals that brought in Amy Pascal and David Heyman as the new producers of the next iteration of James Bond films, sources said. Those deals were made by veteran Warner Bros film executive Courtenay Valenti, who came in under Salke as Head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical. I’ve heard that a condition of Pascal and Heyman signing on was that they report to Valenti, and not Salke, even before the latter lost her job.
If Pascal and Heyman are indeed reporting to Ms. Valenti, then her previous work experience could be a massive boost to putting James Bond 26 into an Aston Martin and zooming into production. I say this because if Courtenay Valenti’s ties to Warner Bros. are still strong, Warner Bros.’ James Bond deal for international distribution could be kept in mind as a source of motivation.
While that agreement kicks in with Bond 27, getting the next era jumpstarted would important to putting that into play. Especially when there’s a ticking clock that’s set to bring us to the next milestone anniversary - 2037’s 75th anniversary of Dr. No.
The more we seem to learn about the movement surrounding this massive undertaking, the more it sounds like Amazon-MGM’s rumored Bond 26 plans could be legit. So that 2027 deadline might start to come together very soon, which will include our first look at the next face of James Bond.
Actors looking to compete should sharpen up their resumes, and bettors looking to cash in on the next big thing should keep their eyes peeled. As for myself, I'm going to continue hoping Amazon-MGM Studios wants a new head of story for the next chapter of James Bond. Or, at the very least, I'd like to get official confirmation of that Sean Connery 4K box set that people are saying is due out on June 3rd.
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