James Bond: Amazon MGM confirms Amy Pascal and David Heyman as producers for next 007 movie

Amazon MGM Studios has closed a deal for Amy Pascal and David Heyman to produce its next James Bond movie.

The pair have considerable experience shepherding franchise films but, so far, the agreement appears to be for the next film and not the whole circus.

The appointment, which had been rumoured for a week, was intensely watched after the Broccoli family sold creative control to Amazon in February, ending a six-decades-long stewardship of Bond on screen.

The entertainment industry in the US and the UK, as well as Bond fan communities, had expressed scepticism over a tech and e-commerce conglomerate seizing control of Ian Fleming’s iconic super spy.

Pascal and Heyman taking charge of at least the next film will allay some of those concerns. Between them, they have produced some of the most successful franchise films of the 21st century and have worked primarily in film rather than television.

Pascal was the boss of Sony Pictures but was pushed out in the wake of the 2014 email scandal after North Korea-linked hackers released the studios’ private communications, widely seen as a retaliatory move for the Seth Rogen comedy The Interview.

Many of those leaked emails were damaging, including ones sent by Pascal that criticised Angelina Jolie and which made racially insensitive “jokes” about Barack Obama.

As part of her exit package, Pascal was set up with a production company and a deal with Sony, under which she oversaw the massively successful Tom Holland Spider-Man movies in collaboration with Marvel Studios.

She also worked with filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg on The Post, Aaron Sorkin on Molly’s Game, Greta Gerwig on Little Women and Luca Guadgnino on Challengers.

As Sony boss, Pascal had been involved with distributing Bond movies Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall.

Heyman is a stalwart of the British film industry and is best known for producing all eight Harry Potter movies from 2001 to 2011, and the spin-off Fantastic Beasts films. He also produced the first two Paddington films, Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

In 2023, he made two commercial blockbusters, the Timothee Chalamet-led Wonka, and Barbie, directed by Gerwig and co-written by Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach.

Heyman has produced two previous Baumbach films, Marriage Story and White Noise, and he and Pascal are already working together on Baumbach’s next film, Jay Kelly, which stars George Clooney, Adam Sandler and Laura Dern.

The Bond movie will be only the second time Pascal and Heyman will have worked together as producers. They will produce through their individual banners, Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films.

Amazon MGM Studios head of film Courtenay Valenti said in a statement, “We are approaching every creative decision with James Bond, which Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have so masterfully steered, with the greatest sense of responsibility.

“Part of an elite group of producers who have developed and managed massive film franchises to box office success and critical acclaim, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are two of the most accomplished, experienced and respected film producers in our industry.”

With Pascal and Heyman on board, Amazon is looking to contain that initial backlash. It was well-known that Broccoli and Wilson had clashed with Amazon executives over the future direction of Bond after Amazon bought out MGM Studios, which had a 50 per cent stake in the franchise.

A particular pain point was the disagreement over exploiting the Bond IP for an expanded onscreen universe, which would include spin-off TV shows centred on supporting characters.

Broccoli and Wilson, who inherited the Bond rights from her dad and his stepfather, Albert R. Broccoli, were adamant the prestige of Bond was reserved for the big screen. Amazon had wanted more value out of the $US8.5 billion they paid for MGM in 2022, with Bond the centrepiece of the legacy studio’s library.

The parties had been at an impasse when Broccoli and Wilson agreed to sell creative control for a reported $US1 billion, although they still retain a financial stake in the brand.

The most recent Bond movie, No Time to Die, was shot in 2019 but not released until 2021 after COVID delays. It was also the end of the Daniel Craig era after the actor stepped away from the role having played the character in five commercially successful films which revitalised the franchise.

With Pascal and Heyman now running point, the race is on to cast the next actor to take on the role, as well as recruit writers and a director.

British filmmaker Christopher Nolan had previously expressed interest in making a Bond film but the deal-breaker had always been that Nolan retains “final cut” on his projects, meaning his edit is the one that’s released, while Broccoli had always controlled the same.

Nolan is currently filming his next epic, The Odyssey, which will then be in post-production until its release in mid-2026, so the timing may not work out if Amazon, Pascal and Heyman are in a rush. But at least the door is now open for a conversation.