When Amazon acquired MGM, EON Productions retained creative control of the 007 film franchise. However, in a shock move, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson sold their stake in James Bond, handing 100 per cent over to the streaming giant. At the time, it was reportedly a $1 billion deal, but now it turns out the amount was surprisingly much less.
According to Deadline, EON Productions has filed an earnings report revealing that Amazon MGM Studios paid just $20 million for their stake in the 007 franchise. This sounds incredibly low a price for the IP’s creative control, but the outlet notes that that the deal could have included Amazon stock options.
The outlet added: “Sources say that Amazon’s deal with EON is structured as a joint venture, and over time the Broccoli company is going to get paid. Amazon has the majority stake. The $20M is believed to be an initial payment, with EON getting recompensed in different ways over time. This payment was part of the deal, not the entirety of the deal.”