Sony has been the home of 007 for the best part of a decade, but following the release of Spectre, their agreement with MGM and EON Productions expired. Thus, Sony and another four studios are heading toward a bidding war for the world’s most popular spy.
Sony, Warner Bros., Universal, 20th Century Fox and Annapurna Pictures are all reportedly in the running to pick up the franchise. To be clear, whoever becomes the victor of this particular battle will only have a one picture deal with MGM and EON. Daniel Craig would presumably be locked down for one final instalment before the Bond creative team searches for a new actor and begins a reboot.
Sony also only received around 25% of profits from Spectre, so whoever works out a deal isn’t exactly getting the most lucrative of investments. However, James Bond is a renowned franchise and the next film is pretty much a guaranteed hit. Plus, even a relatively cheap, one picture deal could get that studio half a foot in the door when it comes to negotiating for a later, multi-film deal.
Four of the studios are household names and it’s no surprise to see them in the running. The wildcard is perhaps Annapurna Pictures, who have thus far in their existence stuck to prestige pictures (Joy, The Master, American Hustle), so this could be a signal of their intent to make some waves in the blockbuster business.
With Bond 25 nearing the start of production (location scouting has already begun), MGM and EON would likely prefer a decision to be made relatively quickly so work can truly begin on the next instalment. Which studio will release the milestone film for the franchise?
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