The news of Amazon MGM Studios’ takeover of the James Bond
franchise is still being processed by many, and it seems that includes some of the stars who have previously stepped into the role of the suave super spy. The latest former franchise star to share their surprise at the news that Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson will no longer be a part of future Bond projects is Timothy Dalton
, who starred as one of the toughest and hard-hitting Bonds until Daniel Craig arrived on the scene in Casino Royale.
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Having played Bond in 1987’s The Living Daylights and 1989’s Licence to Kill, Dalton’s tenure as 007 was more fleeting than most, and his movies are often underrated for it. However, the actor was more than happy to share his take on the huge shake-up facing the franchise. He told the Radio Times:
“I was very, very surprised and shocked. Barbara is I think a fabulous woman and a wonderful producer, as was her father Cubby Broccoli, who I got on with very well and liked a lot. He was a very powerful and strong anchor for the project. Nothing went on that he didn’t want and it’s sad that he’s not with us anymore, that’s all I can say. He was well in charge of the show and that’s not so anymore.”
Timothy Dalton Says One Thing Everyone Is Thinking About Amazon’s ‘Bond’ Takeover
EON Productions Limited
While the actor is obviously no longer in the loop when it comes to what is happening with the James Bond franchise, he still has fond memories of working on his Bond movies, and therefore does hope that Amazon pushes to make movies that still remember why the franchise is popular. He also noted the one thing that sits at the heart of Amazon’s purchase, which everyone already knows – in the end, Amazon wants to make money from the franchise. He added:
“The movies have taken different courses over the years, but there is something very good about the original and I hope Amazon latch onto that and give us the kind of film that’s brought so much excitement and fun to so many people. Anyway, good luck to them, I say. I do wish them all the very, very best. They’ll be doing their best to make a lot of money, so hopefully they will make good movies.”
Dalton’s comments come days after the news of the changing of the guard announcement from Amazon MGM Studios, which also saw Daniel Craig giving a measured reaction by praising Broccoli and Wilson but not really having much to say about the new direction the IP is now heading. Fans naturally made up for that by very vocally denouncing the “sell-out” and claiming that Bond’s on-screen death in 2022’s No Time to Die has now become a metaphor for the franchise.
Of course, we are still many years from seeing the results of this change, and finding out exactly what Amazon does with the IP. Perhaps, it will turn out to be a good thing. Perhaps.
Source: Radio Times
Release Date
July 14, 1989
Runtime
133 Minutes
Director
John Glen
You can view the original article HERE.
