XPost: rec.arts.movies.current-films, alt.fan.james-bond
From: YourName@YourISP.com

From AppleInsider (among other places also reporting it) ...

Apple allegedly making big push for $5 billion James Bond 007
movie franchise rights
-------------------------------------------------------------
After a 2015 expiration of the last deal for the James Bond 007
film franchise, a new report claims that Apple, Amazon, and
Warner Bros. are sparring over production rights for future
films.

An account published by The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday
notes that Apple's emergence into the bidding process is forcing
Warner Bros. to press MGM and Eon "hard" to close a deal for the
franchise. Sources claim that the future of the franchise is at
stake, beyond just film rights.

Reportedly, Apple's new hires of ex-Sony Television Studios
executives Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht are driving the
effort. They may be fighting an uphill battle, as Eon producers
Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson "remain traditional" in
thinking, and appear to be most focused on theatrical movies,
rather than digital distribution deals, or migration to a
television series format.

MGM has recently secured Daniel Craig to return, after the actor
said that he would never return to the role. The next film in
the series is expected to release on Nov. 8, 2019.

"Apple is the biggest digital outlet for movies," United Talent
Agency's Yale Chasin said to The Hollywood Reporter on
background. "I think they are always present in the conversation
whether they're upfront or behind any other distributor out
there that's turning to them for real control in the digital
market."

If Apple is in the running for the franchise, it isn't about
profitability. In an email released during the Sony hack and
document dump, the former head of Sony's business affairs noted
that Bond flick Spectre needed to gross $1.1 billion to earn the
studio $35 million. The film actually garnered around $900 million
in ticket sales.

Valuation of the franchise is said to be between $2 billion and
$5 billion.

Sony programming attributed to Apple executives Van Amburg and
Erlicht include "The Blacklist," AMC's "Breaking Bad" companion
and spin-off "Better Call Saul," and Netflix's "The Crown."

Other less standard deals for the pair include the revival of
"Timeless" after its cancellation by NBC, plus migration of
"Community" from NBC to Yahoo, "Unforgettable" from CBS to A&E,
and "Damages" from FX to DirecTV.


<http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/09/06/apple-allegedly-making-big-push-for-5-billion-james-bond-007-movie-franchise-rights>

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