Although none of the evil villains he battled throughout the decades were able to put an end to James Bond, a new superpower may succeed at doing so.
That’s if one of the iconic movie franchise screenwriters’ worst fears come to fruition.
John Logan, who shepherded Agent 007 through his adventures in “Skyfall” and “Spectre,” said “a chill went through me” when he heard that news that Amazon had bought MGM.
Last week, it was announced the Jeff Bezos-founded e-commerce giant acquired the legendary movie studio – and its entire library of thousands of films, including the James Bond movies – for more than $8.4 billion.
Not a fan of the industry-rocking deal, Logan expressed his thoughts in in an op-ed for The New York Times.
The three-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter insisted that Amazon is “a global technology company ... not necessarily a champion or guardian of artistic creativity or original entertainment” in the buzz-worthy guest essay.
“I know that Bond isn’t just another franchise, not a Marvel or a DC; it is a family business that has been carefully nurtured and shepherded through the changing times by the Broccoli/Wilson family,” Logan contended – referring to Barbara Broccoli, whose father, Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, famously produced and protected the franchise for decades.
After her father’s death in 1996, Broccolli and her half-brother, Michael G. Wilson, took over the franchise, producing the movies through MGM.
“What happens if a bruising corporation like Amazon begins to demand a voice in the process?,” Logan asked rhetorically. “What happens ... if there’s an Amazonian overlord with analytics parsing every decision? What happens when a focus group reports they don’t like Bond drinking martinis? Or killing quite so many people?”
An alum of Northwestern University, Logan was nominated for Academy Awards for best original screenplay for “The Aviator” and “Gladiator” and for best adapted screenplay for “Hugo.”
An acclaimed playwright on Broadway, he won the Tony Award for best play for “Red” in 2010.
“James Bond has survived the Cold War, Goldfinger, Jaws, disco and Ernst Stavro Blofeld, several times. And I can only hope that the powers that be at Amazon recognize the uniqueness of what they just acquired and allow and encourage this special family business to continue unobstructed,” Logan wrote.
“Bond’s not ‘content,’ and he’s not a mere commodity,” he continued. “He has been a part of our lives for decades now. From Sean Connery to George Lazenby to Roger Moore to Timothy Dalton to Pierce Brosnan to Daniel Craig, we all grew up with our version of 007, so we care deeply about him.
In closing, the “Penny Dreadful” creator implored: “Please let 007 drink his martinis in peace. Don’t shake him, don’t stir him.”
The latest 007 film, the pandemic-delayed “No Time To Die,” is now expected to finally hit movie theaters Oct. 8.
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