Director Martin Campbell comments on Amazon news

14-Jun-2021 • Bond News

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Director Martin Campbell, who helmed 'GoldenEye' and 'Casino Royale', has commented on Amazon's buyout of MGM.

"No one's going to fuck around with their success," he told Business Insider. "It's Barbara and Michael's franchise no matter who's providing the money. They've been through many changes and regimes and survived them all."

Campbell's first instinct was to say that the duo would stick to theatrical features. There was never any talk of TV during his work with them, he said.

But he says to "never say never," adding that the producing team has shown a willingness to embrace change over the years.  "They were all for roughing up Bond with 'Casino Royale,'" Campbell said. "There was no hesitation making it darker."

He noted the large action sequences and many locations of the Bond films. A series would have to sustain that kind of scope, he said. "Every Bond film is an event," Campbell said. "The sheer size would have to be maintained."

But what would a Bond TV show look like, aside from having a big budget? Campbell isn't sure about focusing on other characters: "I'm not sure who you'd spin off. The movies have stuck to a formula: there's always a guy who wants to take over the world or something and Bond takes him down," Campbell said. 

Campbell said that the women of the Craig-era films have been "tougher and more self-reliant" (which he credits to Broccoli). Campbell imagines that a Bond TV show would need to exhibit these traits in order to be successful. "If it nailed the quality, if there was an arc to the character, then yes, it could be done," Campbell said.