Bond films’ future secured after MGM and WB agree deal

theguardian.com:

The future of the Bond movie series has been secured for at least the next five years after a major agreement between Hollywood studios MGM and Warner Bros.

The deal, which will take effect later this year with the cannibal romance Bones and All, means that Warner Bros will handle the international release of MGM’s films. MGM’s arrangement with Warner Bros is thought to run for three years, with an option for a further two.

The Bond series has been a key asset for MGM since 1981, when it purchased United Artists, the films’ first backers. The series as a whole, which currently comprises 25 films, is estimated to have taken $7.8bn at the global box office. The next Bond production, currently known as Bond 26, will not be included in the deal, as MGM already has an agreement for overseas distribution in place with Universal, another Hollywood studio (which also handled the most recent Bond release, No Time to Die) as well as Till, a film about lynching victim Emmett Till on which Broccoli is a credited producer. However, distribution rights to further Bond films come with its scope.

The agreement comes after MGM’s distribution deal with Sony ended in 2020, and MGM’s acquisition by Amazon for $8.45bn in 2021. Warner Bros’ parent company Warner Media merged with Discovery in 2021, and has since been undergoing considerable upheaval, including the high profile cancellation of its Batgirl movie and selling its stake in UK TV channel GB News.

The deal arrives at a key moment as the Bond series seeks to maintain momentum after the difficulties that beset the most recent entry, No Time to Die. It was Craig’s fifth and final Bond film, with the production experiencing a number of delays after work began in 2016. Original director