The film franchise features Bond, James Bond.
And Apple and Amazon have joined a bevy of suitors bidding for distribution rights for the lucrative movies depicting the exploits of Britain’s famed fictional spy, the Hollywood Reporter said on Wednesday.
Mega-retailer Amazon and iPhone-maker Apple are hoping to gain a strong foothold in Hollywood.
Apple and Amazon have joined a bevy of suitors bidding for distribution rights for the next James Bond film, ‘Bond 25,’ which is set for a November 2019 release
Their competition for the Bond film distribution rights includes Time Warner Inc’s Warner Bros, Sony Corp, MGM, Comcast Corp’s Universal Pictures, and 20th Century Fox, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Amazon and Apple are willing to pay about the same amount for the rights as Warner Bros, the magazine said, citing anonymous sources.
It did not give a figure.
The Bond franchise is worth between $2 billion and $5 billion, an industry insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Hollywood Reporter.
Apple and Amazon were not immediately available for comment.
Sony previously owned the distribution rights, but they expired with the 2015 release of the latest Bond film, ‘Spectre.’
That movie took in about $880 million at the global box office, according to film tracker BoxOfficeMojo.com.
Amazon and Apple are willing to pay about the same amount for the rights as Warner Bros, The Hollywood Reporter said, citing anonymous sources. It did not give a figure
Sony previously owned the distribution rights, but they expired with the 2015 release of the latest Bond film, ‘Spectre.’ That movie (pictured) took in about $880 million at the global box office
James Bond, created by British author Ian Fleming, first burst onto the silver screen in 1962 in the hit ‘Dr. No,’ starring Sean Connery as the British secret agent.
A plethora of Bond films followed, starring Connery and several actors who succeeded him in the role, including Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan.
Bond has most recently been played by Daniel Craig, who confirmed his return to the franchise last month.
New reports claim James Bond is set to get married in the upcoming film, in a huge move for the famous womanizer – although his beloved wife is said to be killed leading to a Taken-style revenge twist.
Daniel Craig, 49, reportedly gets married as Bond in the new 007 movie ‘Bond 25’ (pictured with Lea Seydoux who played his love interest in ‘Spectre’)
The New York Post’s Page Six reports that the British actor, 49, is set to wed in the eagerly-anticipated 007 movie ‘Bond 25′, which is set for a November 2019 release, hot on the heels of James’ romance with Bond girl Lea Seydoux’s character Madeleine Swann in the last movie.
The much-anticipated film, which will see Daniel reprise the role of the iconic British agent, will have a surprising plot twist, according to a Hollywood insider, who has claimed Bond will quit the secret service and marry the woman he loves.
A source told the column: ‘Bond quits the secret service, and he’s in love and gets married.’
The insider added Bond will return to the secret service after his wife is killed.
Apple, which is relatively new to the world of original content, began a long-awaited move into television in June with a reality show called ‘Planet of the Apps.’ However, the firm is trying to get into the movie business by selling theatrical releases sooner than ever before
Amazon has been spending billions of dollars to create and license TV shows and films.
Earlier this year, the firm’s film unit Amazon Studios scored a best-actor Oscar for Casey Affleck´s portrayal of a grieving man in the movie ‘Manchester by the Sea.’
The movie also won an Academy Award for best original screenplay.
Apple, which is relatively new to the world of original content, began a long-awaited move into television in June with a reality show called ‘Planet of the Apps.’
On the film front, the firm, along with Comcast, is said to be in ‘pressing’ talks with movie studios to make films available for home viewing sooner than ever before.
After months of negotiation, the two sides are nearing an agreement on a system that would allow viewers to rent movies currently showing in cinemas only two weeks after release, for a cost of $30 to $50.
The plans are moving forward despite objection from theaters and could be finalized as early as next year.
After months of negotiation, movie studios, Apple and Comcast are nearing an agreement on a system that would allow viewers to rent movies currently showing in cinemas only two weeks after release for a cost of $30 to $50
Warner Brothers and Universal Pictures (which is owned by Comcast) are some of the biggest proponents willing to ignore theaters and move forward with a deal for what they’re calling premium video on demand, or PVOD, according to Bloomberg.
Lions Gate Entertainment is also interested along with Hollywood Studios (with the exception of Walt Disney Co.), which is said to be ‘eager’ about the idea and has discussed sharing a split of the revenue with theater chains if they approve the concept.
‘You’re going to see some tests done at least in some territories in the near future,’ Lions Gate CEO Jon Feltheimer said, adding he believes PVOD would be introduced in the next 12 months.
‘I hope that will happen, I think it will be great for the business.’
Because of antitrust laws, the theaters and studios must all negotiate separately.
The exact terms for the concept vary between the different firms involved, with some film studios discussing a release date of about 17 days after debut for about $50 and others looking into four to six weeks from release for $30.
Some are also mulling the idea of making the early digital downloads available in other markets prior to releasing them in the US, which is the biggest home-entertainment market.