The James Bond franchise is in freefall right now, as detailed in a bombshell Wall Street Journal report, and a source exclusively tells Closer it’s breaking the heart of outgoing 007 Daniel Craig, even though he stepped down from the lead role.
“Playing James Bond for fifteen years and five movies was never just a job for Daniel – it was more like a religion for him, and he continues to be devoted to [007 producer] Barbara Broccoli and to the character and mythology itself,” reveals a member of the actor’s inner circle.
“He takes this franchise incredibly seriously and has risked life and limb, over and over again, to help bolster its success,” the source continues. “That hasn’t stopped since he left the role and if you know Daniel, you know Barbara consults him on everything, including their recent high-profile impasse with Amazon and MGM, who control the distribution rights to the films but have zero creative control.”
Amazon won the rights to the James Bond franchise in 2022, when the company bought its studio — MGM — for $8.5 billion. However, no new Bond films have been released since 2021’s No Time to Die, which was Daniel’s final time playing the MI6 officer. Fans have been left wondering when they’re finally going to get another Bond film, as well as who will take over for Daniel, 56, as James Bond.
The Wall Street Journal reported on December 19, 2024, that Barbara, 64, is locked in a feud with Amazon over the future of the Bond franchise. The media giant wants to create a “universe” for the iconic brand that would include spinoffs and TV series, as well as possibly alternating actors for the Bond role, according the publication.
The outlet reported that Barbara was upset when one Amazon boss referred to Bond as “content,” and she was allegedly taken aback when an Amazon staff member said, “I have to be honest, I don’t think James Bond’s a hero.”
“Amazon isn’t even bothering to court Daniel’s favor because they know how loyal Daniel is to Barbara. Barbara has made it clear to her UK-based James Bond creative team – she is not going to rush the next James Bond and she’s not going to rush to create a stupid ‘cinematic universe’ of spinoffs and side projects as a cash grab, even if Amazon wants nothing more than that,” the source explains to Closer.
The insider points out that James Bond “is one of the last globally recognized franchises that isn’t in the full control of a giant media company, and that’s not going to change anytime soon.”
The drama surrounding the franchise’s legacy is “heartbreaking for Daniel,” says the insider, but his support for Barbara in her battle against Amazon “has been absolutely unwavering.”
Even though Daniel is no longer playing James Bond, “a lot of people in the know believe he will eventually help produce the next Bond films. Credited or not, he still has a seat at the table and his ideas about the character and the movies are taken incredibly seriously,” the source reveals.
The good news for die-hard fans is that Barbara and fellow Bond producer Michael G. Wilson “still have an ironclad grip on every creative decision around James Bond, and they have a living legend in their corner in the form of Daniel. They will win this war of attrition because of that!”
The England native made his debut as James Bond in 2006’s Casino Royale, after being selected by Barbara to take over the iconic role. He starred in four more Bond films since then before announcing in 2019 that he wouldn’t be continuing with the grueling part.
Daniel recalled thinking, “This is it. I don’t want to do any more,” about his decision to quit playing Bond in a 2022 interview with The Times U.K., instead wanting to focus on taking on new roles including the Knives Out franchise.
