It Cost Amazon ‘Just’ $20 Million to Own James Bond

We learned early in 2025 that Amazon had gained creative control over the James Bond franchise, a deal that came a few years after Amazon spent $8.5 billion to take ownership of MGM Studios, which distributes Bond movies and has a catalogue of thousands of movies and TV shows. While there’s forward momentum on a new Bond movie at last, with Denis Villeneuve behind the wheel, a new report puts a surprisingly low (relatively speaking) price tag on those creative rights: $20 million.

Deadline is the source, explaining, “EON Productions, the company controlled by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, has filed an earnings report in the UK revealing that Amazon MGM Studios paid $20M for its stake in 007.” The trade notes the deal was previously estimated to be much higher ($1 billion, according to Deadline), though “the structure of the joint venture was unknown and could have included Amazon stock options.”

Considering Amazon famously plunked down an estimated $250 million for the rights to make The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power—a figure that doesn’t factor into the show’s $465 million production budget, by the way—$20 million feels like the deal of the century.

Of course, you have to assume the company will be shelling out many times that once Villeneuve’s new movie is off and running, with an estimated 2027 start date.

In the meantime, we’re still waiting to hear which actor will be taking on the iconic character—the $20 million man, if you will. According to a recent report, there may not be news on that front until Dune: Part Three is completed ahead of its December 18, 2026, theatrical release.

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