Shortly after Christopher Nolan‘s 2020 sci-fi film Tenet released, rumors began to swirl that the director was hoping to direct an entry in the James Bond franchise. According to a new report from Variety, he was, but things fell through.
In a new report on the recent acquisition of the creative rights to the franchise by Amazon, Variety breaks down longtime producer Barbara Broccoli’s control of the franchise alongside Michael G. Wilson. The report notes that, although Broccoli and Wilson resisted things like spawning off the Bond films into a whole universe, sources believe they were too cautious.
Why did Christopher Nolan turn down a James Bond movie?
One specific example noted involves Nolan. According to Variety, Nolan expressed interest in making a Bond movie after Tenet came out. However, Broccoli “made clear” that no director would be given final cut of a movie. Nolan, who notoriously does command final cut of his projects, ended up not making the movie, and going on to make 2023’s Oppenheimer.
While it’s unclear if Nolan will ever re-enter the world of James Bond, the note does confirm long-standing rumors that he was hoping to make a film in the legendary world of the spy.
The latest report comes after the shocking announcement that Broccoli and Wilson would be stepping back from their long-time status as producers on the franchise, allowing Amazon MGM Studios to take creative control of the franchise. The agreement sees Amazon MGM Studios and the duo forming a new joint venture to house the intellectual property rights for the Bond franchise.
The three parties will remain co-owners of the Bond series, but now Amazon MGM Studios will have creative control, something that Broccoli and Wilson had retained before. Prior to the announcement, both Wilson and Broccoli had been known as fiercely protective over the franchise. In a statement on the move, Wilson noted that he was stepping back to focus more on art and charitable projects, while Broccoli said she would be focusing on other projects now.
“With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects,” Wilson said in his statement. “Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
“My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli,” added Broccoli. “I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of ‘No Time to Die’ and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”
(Source: Variety)
