'James Bond' TV Series Nixed By Producers: "We Make Films For The Cinema"

For the last 60 years, the James Bond franchise has served as a reliable constant amid changing trends and uncertain times. But even the super-spy himself may have finally met his match, with MGM Studios unable to weather the pandemic storm and forced to postpone the release of No Time to Die several times over. The company's pending acquisition by Amazon further shook up the iconic property, leading to even more questions about the future of the movie series. One such possibility can now apparently be crossed out, however, as the Bond producers have stated in no uncertain terms that you won't be seeing any Bond-themed streaming shows anytime soon.

The Broccoli family has held creative control of the franchise since its very inception, enjoying complete and total final say on any decisions related to individual movies and the series at large. The current shepherds of the franchise, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, are overseeing the property at perhaps the most volatile moment in its long and winding history. The Amazon purchase (and the company's general outlook when it comes to IPs) would seem to be entirely at odds with the Broccoli's established M.O., but fans need not fear that we're suddenly due for an influx in Bond spin-offs and shows. Take it from Barbara Broccoli herself, who spoke with Total Film:

"We make films. We make films for the cinema. That's what we do."

Wilson backs his fellow producer up, saying, "We've resisted that call for 60 years." While it's reassuring to know that the longtime Bond producers still retain significant sway over the direction of the franchise, this was far from a sure thing. The merger news even motivated a former Bond screenwriter, John Logan, who penned a blistering op-ed for The New York Times soon after where he went long on all his concerns about the disruptive influence of Amazon. Chief among those fears is the threat of watering down one of the few "event" blockbusters we have left, with a grand ambitions of cross-media exploitation making Bond feel that much less special.

Before we can really analyze the future of the series, there's still one last item in the present that we need to get to first. The producers are well aware of Daniel Craig's James Bond swan song that's been awkwardly hanging in the breeze for months and months now. By the time the film actually releases (if it's current date holds, that is), it will have been well over two years since production first commenced on No Time to Die. As Broccoli puts it:

"It's tough to think about the future until this film has its moment. I think we just really want to celebrate this and celebrate Daniel, and then when the dust settles, then look at the landscape and figure out what the future is. Although I think one thing we've certainly learned in the last 18 months is you never know what the future is. So we have to sit down and think about it."

Presuming there are no more delays, the dust will finally settle as No Time to Die comes to theaters in the U.K. on September 30, 2021 and to the U.S. on October 8, 2021.