Amazon Studios is in a tight race with Disney to consolidate as many intellectual properties as possible and give them feminist makeovers. These days it’s as easy to find IP based shows with male protagonists on Amazon’s pet attempt to be Netflix as products that aren’t Chinese knockoffs on its shopping site.
Leading the charge is Jennifer Salke, Amazon’s version of Kathleen Kennedy whose motto is the same one as Kennedy’s infamous one, but the problem is Amazon has the rights to one key male-centric property.
In a report from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), longtime Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and Amazon — which bought MGM studios in 2021 — are in an “ugly stalemate” over decisions about the future of the franchise. These include decisions on whether Bond should be turned into a streaming series, or more philosophical ones, like whether the titular character is even a hero.
“I have to be honest, I don’t think James Bond is a hero,” one Amazon executive said during a recent meeting about upcoming Bond content, the outlet reported. That quote seemed to point to Broccoli’s fear that Amazon does not understand the very character that she has dedicated her career to.
Of course not. If you’re a woke, why would you think a white very heterosexual male defending a colonialist entity using violence against justice-involved persons is a hero?
Some of the books solved that by replacing Bond with a disabled black gay agent.
“I want to bring a feminist perspective to the canon,” Sherwood pitched, to “create a space for all of us to be heroes.” The technical term for that is a “Mary Sue” character. But do female readers of the Bond novels really want to be superspies, gunning down villains and surviving torture?
Ready or not, Sherwood debuted the new zeroes who prioritize “inclusivity, female heroes, and heroes of colour” including a black gay disabled 004 and a Pakistani Muslim 009.
Sid Bashir, the Muslim replacement for James Bond, remembers standing by his mother’s side at an Islamic cultural fair under a banner reading, “Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic.” Another scene quotes the Koran and has Bashir saying, “May Allah bless your family.”
“I was born poor, black and gay, I know about hard times,” 004 who, it is important to note, is black and gay says.
Amazon would love to do this but there’s a minor legal matter standing in its way: it can’t.
Before the purchase closed, Amazon executives brainstormed among themselves how Bond could be plugged into their machine. Would Amazon produce a James Bond TV show for its Prime Video service? What about a Moneypenny spinoff? Or a TV spinoff centered on a female 007?
Broccoli’s response to such enthusiasm, one friend said, is often the same: Did you read the contract?
So it’s a problem for Amazon which believes that the future of 007 ought to be a female agent taking on Elon Musk.
Some say a person of color in Bond’s tuxedo would better reflect the U.K.’s changing demography, and even nod to its ugly history of colonization. Take it a step further, others say, and cast a woman or a gay man.
Broccoli has told friends that she doesn’t have any qualms with casting a nonwhite or gay actor, but does believe Bond should always be played by a man, and should always be played by a Brit.
Villains have also presented a creative challenge, since Bond has already dispatched so many.
In a world where the 1% have more power than ever, some have suggested, a stateless billionaire autocrat might seem the obvious choice for a Bond bad guy.
Broccoli’s response to such suggestions: Been there, done that. Recent villains include a wealthy banker to terrorist groups who weeps blood out of one eye (“Casino Royale,” 2006); a wealthy oil heiress (“The World Is Not Enough,” 1999); and a wealthy tycoon whose global media empire includes a satellite network (“Tomorrow Never Dies,” 1997). That last one has come up more recently when she is offered inspiration from the real world.
“Elon Musk?” she said to one friend. “I did that back in 1997.’”
So what’s Amazon gonna do? It could just wait around.
Christopher Tolkien would never have signed off on the woke nonsense that is Amazon’s Rings of Power, but Simon Tolkien did. After a lifetime of giving studios headaches, Gene Roddenberry is dead and Rod Roddenberry is perfectly happy to have Stacey Abrams as president of the universe. If Amazon waits around, it’ll assume that some Broccoli heir will be happy to play the Simon Tolkien or Rod Roddenberry role and then Amazon can replace Bond with a disabled lesbian Muslim woman.
Amazon Studios under Salke, like Disney with Kathleen Kennedy, puts ideology ahead of profits every time.
The inaugural Prime Video Presents: Trailblazers took place in London, an event celebrating the women of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. Hosted by Amazon MGM Studios Jennifer Salke, head Jennifer Salke and Prime Video International VP Kelly Day…
“Women are at the core of our business – from our incredible actors, our inventive producers and our executive teams. We also know that women around the world love to be moved by incredible storytelling and we look forward to bringing them all a compelling slate featuring some of the most talented women working both in front and behind the camera. We’ve had a mission to be a destination for women all around the world, and we’re starting to see progress with that,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios.
Sorry, no room for James Bond here.