Toukokuun lopulla 2021 levisi viihdemaailman jymyuutinen: Amazon oli ostanut itselleen Metro-Goldwyn-Mayerin melkein 8,5 miljardilla dollarilla. Amazonin hallintaan siirtyvät siis ainakin 12 Angry Men, Basic Instinct, Creed, James Bond, Legally Blonde, Moonstruck, Poltergeist, Raging Bull, Robocop, Rocky, Silence of the Lambs, Stargate, Thelma & Louise, Tomb Raider, The Magnificent Seven, The Pink Panther, The Thomas Crown Affair, Fargo, The Handmaid's Tale ja Vikings.
Nyt sitten James Bond -elokuvien Skyfall ja Spectre käsikirjoittaja John Logan on ilmaissut tyytymättömyytensä kaupan johdosta. Hänen mukaansa tietää huonoa, kun johtoryhmät pääsevät tekemään elokuvanteon luovia päätöksiä. Hän kertoi kantansa New York Timesille.
"Having worked as a writer on Skyfall and Spectre, I know that Bond isn't just another franchise, not a Marvel or a DC; it is a family business that has been carefully nurtured and shepherded through the changing times by the Broccoli/Wilson family. Work sessions on Skyfall and Spectre were like hearty discussions around the dinner table. What happens if a bruising corporation like Amazon begins to demand a voice in the process? What happens to the comradeship and quality control if there's an Amazonian overlord with analytics parsing every decision? What happens when a focus group reports they don't like Bond drinking martinis? Or killing quite so many people? And that English accent's a bit alienating, so could we have more Americans in the story for marketability?
In the context of the larger company, Amazon Prime Video is not chiefly about artists. It's about attracting and retaining customers. And when bigger companies start having a say in iconic characters or franchises, the companies tend to want more, not better, and the quality differential can vary wildly, project to project."
Aika näyttää, onko Loganin huoli perusteltu.