James Bond may be one of cinema’s most valuable franchises, but Amazon reportedly gained creative control of 007 for just $20 million (£16.4 million) — a figure that’s left fans shaken and stirred.
When Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion (£6.7b) back in 2021, the streaming giant acquired the distribution rights to every Bond film ever made — but not full creative control over the character himself.
That changed earlier this year when Bond’s long-time producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, agreed to a new agreement over creative control with Amazon MGM, giving the tech company authority over all future installments.
At the time, industry insiders speculated that such a deal could have cost Amazon close to a billion dollars. But according to a new earnings report from Wilson and Broccoli’s company, Eon Productions, the true figure was much lower — just $20 million (£16.4 million).
The report, obtained by Deadline, states: ‘On 20 February 2025, the company entered into an agreement for the sale of its interest in the Bond franchise, all associated assets as well as its subsidiary companies, B24 Limited and B25 Limited. The total consideration for the sale amounted to $20 million (USD) (£16.4 million GBP).’
The revelation of the $20 million (£16.4 million) sale has left fans stunned. On X, user @joshuabporter summed up the disbelief: ‘That’s it?!’
@RoyAlford75848 wrote: ‘That’s wild—$20 million (£16.4 million) just for creative control? Feels like a drop in the bucket for a franchise like Bond, but I guess that’s how the market moves.’
Others compared the deal to historic Hollywood sales. @AuraLeeHarvey posted: ‘That’s it? Star Wars was $4B (£3.2B), what? 15 years ago?’
@MrMiller007_ posted: ‘The fact that a historic franchise such as James Bond was sold for anything less than a billion is insane. Im honestly shocked EON just basically in financial terms, gave it away.’
And some simply questioned the math. @FrankMalfitano asked: ‘That’s all? 😳’ while @PovialJunk joked: ‘did they forget a zero?’
However, the precise structure of the deal remains unclear. Industry observers note that the low figure could reflect an arrangement involving stock options or future profit-sharing, potentially increasing EON’s ultimate payout.
Wilson and Broccoli also remain co-owners of the Bond intellectual property under the joint venture, though creative control of the franchise is now firmly in Amazon’s hands.
In the months following the handover, Amy Pascal and David Heyman were announced as producers for the next Bond installment.
Denis Villeneuve, fresh off his Dune success, has been tapped to direct, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight attached to write the screenplay.
EON Productions’ financials suggest the company had been on a downward trajectory since Daniel Craig’s Bond swan song No Time to Die in 2021.
That year, EON posted $313 million (£235 million) in sales. By 2023, that figure had fallen by over $10 million (£7.9 million), and in 2024, revenues stood at just $16.3 million (£12.1 million).
Whatever the structure behind the modest-sounding sum, the creative direction of cinema’s most enduring spy is now officially in Amazon’s hands – a development that marks one of the most surprising power shifts in modern film history.
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