As far as movie franchises go, there are none quite as legendary as James Bond. 007's adventures have been entertaining audiences for decades, with a ton of actors taking on the mantle of Bond. Actor Daniel Craig is coming to the end of his tenure as the character with Cary Joji Fukunaga's No Time to Die, which marks the whopping 25th film in the series. But could MGM be selling the franchise to another studio?
With Daniel Craig leaving the role of Bond after No Time to Die, the generations of 007 fans are preparing for a serious change in the franchise. But said changes could be even more substantial, especially if MGM sells its half of the Bond franchise to another studio. As the latest reports indicate, both Netflix and Apple are in preliminary talks to acquire the iconic spy property from the studio.
This report from Yahoo! isn't confirmed, but it's a bit of news that is especially interesting as No Time to Die approaches its highly anticipated theatrical run. Especially considering what a significant change MGM's possible sell would be for the beloved property. Of course, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer isn't the only studio who owns part of the James Bond franchise.
Every single Bond movie has been produced by Eon Productions. Started by Albert Broccoli and proceeded by his daughter Barbara, the company has been behind all 25 installments in the beloved franchise. Eon is clearly planning on staying with the franchise on Bond 26 and beyond, so MGM's potential sale to Netflix or Apple won't be a completely fresh start. The life blood of the property will still be present.
Neither Netflix or Apple has made any statement or response on this latest report, so it's important to note that nothing is set in stone. Both studios could end up not acquiring the Bond franchise. Although considering the legacy and box office appeal of 007's big screen adventures, it makes sense that said streaming studios might want to get in on the action.
The possibility of MGM its stakes to the Bond franchise highlight how much will change for the franchise following the release of No Time to Die. Daniel Craig has been played the martini drinking MI6 agent for five movies and over a decade of filmmaking. As such, his departure will be a seismic change, albeit one that was expected. After all, fans have seen the likes of Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, and other actors all passing the torch to replacements throughout the years.
Daniel Craig's tenure as Bond also saw the franchise embracing serialized storytelling, moving away from the historically anthology format. It should be interesting to see if this model is continued with Bond 26 and beyond. Whenever a new Bond is found, of course.
No Time to Die hits theaters on April 10th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
