Amazon Reportedly Considering Rebel Ridge Star for Next James Bond

James Bond is one of the most famous characters in both books and movies, and the Bond films have been around for a very long time. The first one, Dr. No, came out back in 1962. Since then, the franchise has grown into a huge part of pop culture. But now, things are changing in a big way.

After Amazon bought MGM in 2022, it gained the rights to all Bond movies. Recently, it also took full creative control of the franchise. That means long-time Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are stepping back. They’ve been in charge of Bond for decades and helped make him the icon he is today.

Barbara Broccoli said she’s moving on to work on other projects after spending most of her life protecting the legacy of Bond. Michael G. Wilson, who’s been involved with Bond for nearly 60 years, said he’s retiring from producing and will focus on art and charity work. Even though they’re stepping away from day-to-day decisions, they’ll still be co-owners of the franchise through a new deal with Amazon MGM.

Mike Hopkins, who runs Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said the studio is “honored to continue this treasured heritage” and is getting ready for the next chapter of the Bond story. He also said Bond is “one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment.”

Even though the next movie hasn’t been officially announced yet, there are already rumors about what might happen. According to Deadline, Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón might direct the new Bond film.

Also, Daniel Richtman, an industry insider known for breaking movie news, posted on his Patreon that Amazon plans to start filming the next Bond movie next year. He said there’s still no confirmed director or actor, but that Aaron Pierre is one of the names being talked about for the role of James Bond. Richtman added, “Not sure if they actually met him yet tho.”

Aaron Pierre first became known for playing Dev-Em in the sci-fi show Krypton, which aired from 2018 to 2019. In 2021, he was part of the historical drama The Underground Railroad and also appeared in the thriller movie Old. More recently, in 2024, he starred in the action thriller Rebel Ridge. That same year, he played Malcolm X in the TV series Genius and provided the voice for Mufasa in Mufasa: The Lion King.

For now, everything is still up in the air. The last Bond movie was No Time to Die in 2021, which starred Daniel Craig in his final outing as 007. That film made $775 million around the world, but since then, there haven’t been any official updates about the next actor to take on the role or what the new story will be.

Many fans and critics are unsure about where Amazon might take the franchise. Some worry that Bond could be turned into more of a shared universe, with spin-offs and shows popping up everywhere. Still, others are curious to see what a new era of Bond might look like with fresh ideas and a different creative team behind it.

We’ll just have to wait and see what Amazon MGM decides to do with one of the most legendary characters in movie history.

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