James Bond Writer Warns Amazon MGM Deal Could Dilute Franchise

John Logan, the Oscar nominated screenwriter whose credit embrace engaged on James Bond pics Skyfall and Spectre, has mentioned that Amazon buying MGM, with its again catalogue that options the Bond movies, makes him anxious for the way forward for the franchise.

Penning an opinion piece for The New York Times, Logan wrote that upon listening to information of the deal, “a chill went through me.”

“Having worked as a writer on Skyfall and Spectre, 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,” continued Logan.

He prompt that, whereas Broccoli and Wilson personal 50% of the Bond empire and have assurances of ongoing inventive management, he foresaw this being disrupted sooner or later. “What happens if a bruising corporation like Amazon begins to demand a voice in the process? What happens to the comradeship and quality control 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? And that English accent’s a bit alienating, so could we have more Americans in the story for marketability?” He mentioned.

Logan additionally warned that, if an organization reminiscent of Amazon interfered artistically, it risked diluting the standard of the franchise. “Everything gets watered down to the most anodyne and easily consumable version of itself. The movie becomes an inoffensive shadow of a thing, not the thing itself. There are no more rough edges or flights of cinematic madness,” he mentioned.

He added that Amazon is in the end “a global technology company” and “not necessarily a champion or guardian of artistic creativity or original entertainment”. In the piece, he factors to examples of tasks he has labored on, together with Sweeney Todd, The Aviator and Gladiator, that he mentioned would have been tarnished by such interference.

At the time of confirming the acquisition, Amazon mentioned it was dedicated to theatrically releasing MGM titles going ahead.

“Please let 007 drink his martinis in peace. Don’t shake him, don’t stir him,” Logan concludes. You can learn his full piece over on The New York Times.