James Bond on Amazon Prime

What Easter bank holiday weekend would be complete without James Bond? A point proven when my tweet was read out live on air on Scala Radio last Easter. This tradition began on ITV when I was knee-high to a grasshopper playing with Action Man toys.

Following Amazon's $8.45 billion buyout of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Amazon Prime subscribers (myself included) can watch the beloved British spy franchise for a limited time from Good Friday.

“MGM has a nearly century-long legacy of producing exceptional entertainment, and we share their commitment to delivering a broad slate of original films and television shows to a global audience,” said Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Prime Video and Amazon Studios.

“We welcome MGM employees, creators, and talent to Prime Video and Amazon Studios, and we look forward to working together to create even more opportunities to deliver quality storytelling to our customers.”

Prime Video will host all 25 James Bond movies:

Dr. No
From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Diamonds Are Forever
Live And Let Die
The Man With The Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
A View To A Kill
The Living Daylights
Licence To Kill
GoldenEye
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World Is Not Enough
Die Another Day
Casino Royale
Quantum Of Solace
Skyfall
Spectre
No Time To Die

This coincides with 60 years of Bond on the big screen culminating in James Bond Day on 5th October.

I'll finally see No Time To Die (affiliate link) this Good Friday.

Will you be watching James Bond this Easter on Amazon Prime? Let me know in the comments below.

Being James Bond only on Apple TV+

Amazon is in the process of buying Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) for $8.45 billion and adding the James Bond film franchise to Amazon Prime Video.

Ahead of the release of No Time To Die in cinemas, MGM and Apple TV+ have announced an exclusive retrospective documentary chronicling Daniel Craig's tenure as Ian Fleming's James Bond. Presumably, this deal was inked before the movie's various delays due to the ongoing pandemic and Amazon's proposed takeover of MGM, which is expected to conclude by the end of the year.

Being James Bond: The Daniel Craig Story.

“The 45-minute retrospective features Daniel Craig reflecting on his 15 years playing Bond, with never-before-seen archival footage from his oeuvre and conversations with 07 producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. It will be available for free to Apple TV customers in over 30 countries and regions from September 7 through October 7. No Time To Die, Craig's last outing as Bond, will be released in theaters on Sept. 30 in the U.K. through Universal Pictures International and in the U.S. on Oct. 8 through MGM via United Artists Releasing.”



“A lot of people here have worked on five pictures with me,” Craig tells Wilson and Broccoli in the film. “I’ve loved every single second of these movies, and especially this one because I’ve got up every morning and I’ve had the chance to work with you guys, and that has been one of the greatest honours of my life.”

“Daniel has just taken this, the character, the series, the whole thing, to a place that is so… extraordinary. And so emotionally satisfying,” Broccoli says.

“It’s also emotionally tough being Daniel’s last one. It’s tough on Barbara, it’s tough on me,” adds Wilson.

A final trailer for No Time To Die has also been released. It zeroes in on the premise that Bond is obsolete in an era of 24/7 cyber threats.



Read the official synopsis for No Time To Die:

"In No Time To Die, Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology."

If Craig's final outing as Bond equals Casino Royale and Skyfall, fans (myself included) are in for an early treat this holiday season.

Product placement has always been a cornerstone (sometimes to its detriment) of the franchise. I recently discovered Craig reportedly spurned a $50 million deal that would have seen James Bond using a Samsung phone (in Spectre) because the actor did not consider it good enough for 007! One would hope the super-spy would favour an iPhone.

Being James Bond debuts exclusively on Apple TV+ on 7th September. No Time To Die is in cinemas on 30th September.

Dune pushed back by Bond

Contrary to earlier rumours, Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049), delayed from last Christmas due to the pandemic, will premiere day-and-date on HBO Max and in theatres this October.

According to insiders, Dune has been pushed back three weeks to avoid clashing with No Time To Die at the box office. The latest James Bond movie is expected to do well as it sees Daniel Craig exit as the titular spy.

Dune will have its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on 3rd September before being released in cinemas and on HBO Max on October 22nd.

Are you looking forward to Dune? Let me know in the comments below.

Amazon buys James Bond studio MGM

The name's Prime, Amazon Prime. Amazon has bought Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) bringing James Bond to Amazon Prime.

“The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of [intellectual property] in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team,” Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, said in announcing the deal. “It’s very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.”

Once the $8.45 billion takeover deal is completed by the end of the year, MGM will continue to operate as a brand label within the Amazon company.

Kevin Ulrich, MGM’s chairman, said in a statement, “I am very proud that MGM’s Lion, which has long evoked the Golden Age of Hollywood, will continue its storied history, and the idea born from the creation of United Artists lives on in a way the founders originally intended, driven by the talent and their vision. The opportunity to align MGM’s storied history with Amazon is an inspiring combination.”

This isn't expected to have any material impact on the distribution of No Time To Die as Eon Productions, owned by the Broccoli family, has a significant say. However, the future of the James Bond franchise could be very different.

No Time To Die, Daniel Craig's delayed final outing as James Bond, is in cinemas this October.

Amazon's bid for James Bond studio MGM

Amazon has reportedly bid $9 billion for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which would give the tech titan access to the entire James Bond back catalogue for Amazon Prime in its battle with Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and more.

This means ITV may lose out. James Bond has become synonymous with rainy bank holidays in the UK and Scala Radio read out my tweet to that effect during an hour dedicated to the music of the eponymous spy. A mid-nineties rerun of Moonraker, on ITV, rekindled my James Bond fandom during the franchise's hiatus between Licence to Kill and GoldenEye.

No Time To Die, Daniel Craig's swansong in the titular role, has been delayed due to the pandemic and is expected in theatres this October after rumours it may stream exclusively on Apple TV+.

Would you miss James Bond on ITV in an era of non-linear, self-curated content? Let me know in the comments below.

Pandemic pushes back No Time To Die

It's fair to say a lifelong love of fast cars and gadgets was influenced by the James Bond franchise and its merchandise. So much so, the iconic Aston Martin DB5 inspired over 2 decades of silver car ownership beginning with a Rover 200 in the late nineties. In 2011, I was featured in both BMW and Motability magazines with my 1 Series Coupé M Sport.

The status quo ended with an eyecatching Misano Blue BMW 1 Series M Sport (nicknamed TARDIS hot wheels), collected the week before the first coronavirus lockdown last March. Listening to John Barry and David Arnold's soundtracks enlivened weekly essential shopping trips to Aldi in the 'new normal'.

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However, Andrew Lewin cautioned such a scenario could lead to 'exuberant' driving. I cannot confirm if this is true, but I have been channelling a socially distanced Bond when talking to admirers of my latest car.

Like most Bond fans, I've waited patiently for Daniel Craig's swansong in the titular role. No Time To Die has been pushed back, again, until October and at this stage in the pandemic, I wish there was an opportunity to watch at home in lockdown. Disney released Pixar's Soul on Disney+ and Warner Bros. followed suit with Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max.

There are persistent rumours No Time To Die may appear on Apple TV+. The Cupertino-based tech giant has the cash to spare ahead of an expected record-breaking $100 billion quarter.

Even when theatres can safely reopen, many cinemagoers (myself included) will be reluctant to return. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

007's all guns blazing in No Time To Die

Daniel Craig returns as James Bond for the final time this November.

No Time To Die was pushed back from April due to the coronavirus pandemic. The latest trailer is electrifying and teases a fitting end for Craig's Bond who's debut gifted fans (myself included) one of the franchise's greatest instalments of all time, Casino Royale. It's worth noting, GoldenEye, also directed by Martin Campbell, brought this fan out of the cold in 1995.



Will No Time To Die be enough to entice cinemagoers back this holiday season? Let me know in the comments below.

James Bond returns in Spectre

Director Sam Mendes (Skyfall) will reprise directorial chores for the upcoming James Bond movie. Spectre.

Spectre - Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion - was the bane of Bond's life in the 1960s and this may mark the return of nemesis Blofeld.

"I've wanted to involve Spectre for many years and Spectre is back," Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said at Thursday's launch event.

Mendes reunites with Daniel Craig, playing the titular character for the fourth time, and adds new cast members including Andrew Scott (Sherlock) and Monica Bellucci (The Matrix Reloaded).

Spectre is scheduled to be released on November 6th, 2015.

Skyfall smashes UK box office record in 40 days

Skyfall succeeded where Avengers Assemble, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises failed: getting me into a multiplex for the first time since David Fincher's remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which coincidentally starred Daniel Craig.

Skyfall is a masterclass in shadow play set against lyrical bombast! Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig pay spectacular homage to a 50-year legacy.

London, 5th December – Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment are delighted to announce that Skyfall has made history in the UK and become the highest grossing film of all time. Skyfall has now taken a staggering £94,277,612 at the UK box office in just 40 days on release, making box office history and overtaking the record previously held by Avatar which had a lifetime gross of £94,025, 632 million during 11 months on release in UK cinemas.

SKYFALL, the 23rd James Bond adventure, continuing the longest running and most successful franchise in film history, opened in 587 cinemas across the UK and Ireland on Friday 26th October, and is still on general release. In response to this fantastic news, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said “We’re overwhelmed with gratitude to the cinema-going audiences in the UK who have made Skyfall the highest grossing film of all time. We are very proud of this film and thank everybody, especially Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes, who have contributed to its success.”

“I am incredibly proud of the amazing heights to which this film continues to soar and wish to again congratulate all involved on reaching such a tremendous milestone,” said Gary Barber, Chairman and CEO, MGM.

Peter Taylor, Managing Director, Sony Pictures Releasing UK also commented “We are delighted that cinemagoers have so enthusiastically embraced Skyfall in such an incredible way. It seems particularly fitting in 2012 that the latest James Bond adventure should become the highest grossing movie ever marking the fiftieth anniversary of one of our truly iconic cultural characters in record breaking style.”

Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in SKYFALL™, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In SKYFALL, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. The film is from Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Directed by Sam Mendes. Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan.

Blu-ray Bond

First 500,000 PS3 Registrants on PLAYSTATION®Network to be Rewarded with Casino Royale on Blu-ray

London, 12th February 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced today that, in addition to the extensive line-up of games, the first 500,000 purchasers of PLAYSTATION®3 who registered on the PLAYSTATION®Network would receive a Blu-ray disc movie of Casino Royale, starring James Bond newcomer Daniel Craig.

Casino Royale, which has already grossed more than $560 million at the box office worldwide, and has established itself as the most successful Bond film of all time will debut on a 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray disc encoded in MPEG-4 AVC. With a ground breaking collection of added-value features in 1080P High Definition visual quality, and with uncompressed audio features for the best possible audio experience, Casino Royale not only demonstrates the exceptional visual quality of Full 1080P High Definition movies on Blu-ray disc, but is the perfect vehicle to highlight the broader entertainment credentials of the PLAYSTATION 3 system.

Explaining the offer, Darren Carter, VP Brand and Consumer Marketing said, “The PLAYSTATION®Network unlocks the broad range of interactive entertainment features of PLAYSTATION 3. It’s easy to set up, offers free online gaming, has great tools for staying in touch with friends and family, and includes a wide variety of content for download through the PLAYSTATION®Store.”

“All this, and more, will enable users to experience a whole new world of interactive entertainment, and that is why we are offering the phenomenal incentive of Casino Royale, on Blu-ray disc, to PS3 owners who register on the PLAYSTATION®Network. Casino Royale not only makes the most of the features and capabilities of the Blu-ray format, but is one of the most exciting and entertaining movies to debut on Blu-ray this year.”