Apple and Amazon said to be bidding for James Bond franchise
Apple and Amazon said to be bidding for James Bond franchise
Besides investing $1 billion to "procure and produce" content next year, Apple is said to be pursuing a deal to secure film distribution rights for the James Bond franchise.
Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Apple and Amazon are competing with Warner Bros for the rights. Both tech giants are expected to "spend in the same ballpark" or much more than Warner. Jamie Ehrlicht and Zack Van Amburg, former Sony TV execs who joined Apple a few months ago, are leading the negotiation efforts.
“In the world of Lucasfilm and Marvel, Bond feels really underdeveloped,” says someone familiar with the bidding process.
The James Bond franchise is seen as one of the last untapped brands that could be a game changer in the content space. It is currently valued between $2 billion and $5 billion. Sony Universal and Fox are also in the race and there is a possibility that Chinese companies are eyeing the franchise as well.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter via 9to5Mac