• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns

2

Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access

3

Melinda French Gates' advice to new IPO millionaires: 'Give half your money away'

1

Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns

2

Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access

3

Melinda French Gates' advice to new IPO millionaires: 'Give half your money away'
Arts & EntertainmentJames Bond

Apple and Amazon Are Reportedly Angling for the Next James Bond Movies

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 6, 2017, 6:01 PM ET

Apple and Amazon had better have their cocktail shakers ready.

The two tech giants are reportedly bidding for distribution rights for the James Bond movie franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Sony previously had a distribution deal for the popular movie series based on the dapper British spy created by author Ian Fleming and famously played by the likes of Sean Connery and Roger Moore over the course of 26 films. But Sony’s contract expired following the release of 2015’s Spectre, which pulled in $880 million at the global box office.

With actor Daniel Craig returning to portray Bond at least one more time in 2019 (after previously dismissing the idea stepping into the role for a fifth film), movie studios are lining up for a chance to land distribution rights for future spy thrillers featuring the British secret agent with a “License to Kill.” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and Eon Productions own the rights to the James Bond franchise, but the studios no longer distribute the films, having previously licensed distribution rights to Sony for the last four films, going back to 2006’s Casino Royale.

Sony is among the bidders this time around, as well, joining several major movie houses such as Time Warner’s Warner Bros., Comcast’s Universal Pictures, and 20th Century Fox. But anonymous sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that both Apple and Amazon have also thrown their hats into the bidding for distribution rights for a franchise that the publication says is worth $2 billion to $5 billion.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

It would be fairly notable if either of the tech giants can cut a deal with MGM/Eon for distribution rights to such an iconic movie franchise. Amazon has ramped up its feature film business in recent years as part of its reported $4.5 billion budget for original TV and film productions, with Amazon even winning its first Academy Awards earlier this year for the movie Manchester by the Sea. And, Apple is reportedly set to spend $1 billion of its own on original video programming next year as the world’s most valuable company dives into the increasingly competitive world of digital entertainment.

Amazon already has plenty of experience producing and marketing its original movies like a traditional studio (and the company is moving into self-distribution, as well), but a deal for the James Bond distribution rights could certainly be appealing to the company’s millions of Prime subscribers once it makes those movies available for streaming. It’s too soon to know if Apple would still plan to release any original films in theaters, as the company’s initial attempts at original programming have included the streaming-only TV series Carpool Karaoke and Planet of the Apps.

There’s no doubt that both Apple and Amazon should have enough money to compete with traditional Hollywood studios for movie rights, but The Hollywood Reporter notes that the James Bond bidding war could take an interesting twist if the two tech players are angling for more than just distribution rights. After all, either Apple or Amazon could potentially blow MGM/Eon out of the water with a huge offer for full franchise rights that would allow them to spread the British spy character’s lucrative intellectual property in various formats, from film to potential TV series spin-offs, similar to Walt Disney’s expansion of the Star Wars universe after its acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012.

Fortune contacted Apple and Amazon for comment, and we will update this article with any response.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Trump at 80 works to project strength as political woes mount
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trump at 80 works to project strength as political woes mount
By Catherine Lucey and BloombergJune 13, 2026
5 hours ago
The real star of the UFC fight at the White House may be the Claw: a behemoth cage constructed for the Octagon
PoliticsUFC
The real star of the UFC fight at the White House may be the Claw: a behemoth cage constructed for the Octagon
By Dan Gelston and The Associated PressJune 13, 2026
14 hours ago
Workers start removing Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center, but there’s little on the venue’s schedule after a few upcoming events
PoliticsDonald Trump
Workers start removing Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center, but there’s little on the venue’s schedule after a few upcoming events
By Steven Sloan and The Associated PressJune 13, 2026
15 hours ago
victor
North AmericaSports
Victor Wembanyama nearly got egged by a rabid Knicks fan. Nobody filed a complaint with the NYPD
By The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
2 days ago
pattie
LawCopyright
Patagonia sues drag queen Pattie Gonia, seeking $1 for trademark infringement
By Brittany Peterson and The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
2 days ago
t
Arts & EntertainmentTaylor Swift
Taylor Swift is youngest woman to make Songwriters Hall of Fame at 36, but blew out her voice cheering for the Knicks
By Maria Sherman and The Associated PressJune 12, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
Real Estate
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
By Sydney LakeJune 13, 2026
20 hours ago
Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access
AI
Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access
By Jeremy KahnJune 13, 2026
1 day ago
Melinda French Gates' advice to new IPO millionaires: 'Give half your money away'
Startups & Venture
Melinda French Gates' advice to new IPO millionaires: 'Give half your money away'
By Emma HinchliffeJune 13, 2026
19 hours ago
SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen quietly engineered its historic IPO and became an overnight billionaire
C-Suite
SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen quietly engineered its historic IPO and became an overnight billionaire
By Sasha RogelbergJune 13, 2026
21 hours ago
U.S. energy secretary says 7 million barrels of oil exiting Persian Gulf daily, but Chevron CEO rebuts the claim
Energy
U.S. energy secretary says 7 million barrels of oil exiting Persian Gulf daily, but Chevron CEO rebuts the claim
By Jordan BlumJune 12, 2026
1 day ago
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
5 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.