Amazon Completes $8.5 Billion Acquisition Of James Bond Studio

Amazon has completed a massive $8.5 Billion acquisition of MGM, the studio behind popular film franchises such as James Bond [via Variety].

The deal was first announced back in May 2021, and has taken nearly an entire year to close. It now means that Amazon has added over 4,000 movies and 17,000 TV shows to its catalogue of content. We can surely expect much of it to appear on Amazon Prime Video in the coming months. At least, it sounds like that’s what Amazon is planning.

“The storied, nearly century-old studio – with more than 4,000 film titles, 17,000 TV episodes, 180 Academy Awards, and 100 Emmy Awards – will complement Prime Video and Amazon Studios’ work in delivering a diverse offering of entertainment choices to customers,” Amazon writes.

Legally Bond

However, it also sounds like Amazon will be keen to develop and expand upon existing MGM properties. “The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of [intellectual property] in the deep catalogue that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team,” Amazon said last year when it first announced the acquisition.

MGM is the owner of beloved franchises such as ‘James Bond’, ‘Rocky’, and ‘The Magnificent Seven’. Not forgetting the ‘Tomb Raider’ movie and ‘Legally Blonde’, too. In terms of TV shows, MGM owns the rights to ‘Fargo’, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, and ‘Vikings’. That’s plenty of critically acclaimed content to expect on Amazon Prime Video soon.

Who knows? Maybe we’ll see that Young James Bond project come to life under new leadership. Tom Holland pitched the idea last year, but was shut down by James Bond bosses.

What do you think of Amazon now owning the rights to James Bond? Let us know across our social channels.

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Featured Image Credit: Amazon/MGM