New reports say Spider-Verse mastermind Amy Pascal and Harry Potter producer David Heyman could take over Amazon MGM’s Bond franchise.
I hope Hollywood mega-producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman take their martinis shaken, not stirred. Why? If things go according to plan, they could be the new overseers of Amazon MGM Studios‘ James Bond franchise. According to multiple reports, Pascal, who, while at Sony, brought the best-grossing Bond films to theaters with Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Spectre, and Skyfall, and Heyman, who sits at the head of the table for Warner’s Harry Potter franchise, could gain control of 007’s future after Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson step down.
Genre film lovers know Pascal as the mastermind of Sony’s animated Spider-Verse movies and the studio’s Spider-Man films, which starred Tom Holland as the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler. Pascal helped weave the web of Spider-Man: No Way Home, an event film that grossed $1.95 billion and became the seventh highest-grossing film ever.
In addition to casting spells for the Harry Potter film franchise, Heyman’s latest project is The Rivals of Amziah King, starring Matthew McConaughey. The Rivals of Amziah King had its world premiere at SXSW, where the film received a standing ovation. JoBlo’s Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, reviewed the film, saying it’s “one of the most unpredictable and wildly entertaining” films he’s seen in a while. You can read Chris’s full review here.
In late February, Amazon MGM Studios and longtime Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced a shift in leadership as they ceded creative control over to Amazon. Under the new deal, Wilson, Broccoli, and Amazon would share co-ownership of Bond, with Amazon deciding the franchise’s fate and direction. While Perkins is not in the running to helm a Bond project, demand for his talents is on the rise as movies like Longlegs and The Monkey continue to resonate with audiences.
007’s fate has dangled from the edge of a creative cliff for what feels like a long time, with actors like Henry Cavill, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Hardy, Dan Stevens, Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Regé-Jean Page, Tom Hiddleston, and more rumored to become the international superspy. Still, according to a leaked memo, the next Bond will be “British and male.”
What do you think about Amy Pascal and David Heyman being in talks to take the James Bond franchise over from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson? Let us know in the comments section below.
