Genesis of a rumour: The Moneypenny Diaries spin-off

25-Feb-2025 • Bond News

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Brace yourself... From the moment Amazon officially announced they had signed a deal with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to take creative control of the James Bond franchise last week, speculation has ramped about possible spin-offs and expansion media based on the 007 'universe.'

First out of the traps were stories about a possible Moneypenny spin-off, long fancied by fans as a possible option ever since Amazon bought MGM Studios.

Earlier this week, trade publication Variety, struggling to get anyone official on the record, reached out to tangential industry players for their take on the situation. Eric Handler, senior media and entertainment analyst at Roth Capital Partners (who has no official connection to the franchise) speculated: “You can really reimagine this series. Now, Amazon can maybe stay on a linear track with the films, but maybe they create a streaming series about Moneypenny or tell an origin story about Q.. It’s all possible.”

That was enough for The Sun to take it one step further and claim 'The Moneypenny Diaries' has already been green-lit by Amazon and it will star Florence Pugh in the title role. To further confuse the situation, 'The Moneypenny Diaries' was a literary trilogy by Samantha Weinburg released from 2005 through 2008 and is owned by the IFP. But don't let facts get in the way of a good story.

Please... Nobody tell these outlets that Moneypenny was M's secretary, not Bond's...