MGM has tapped Warner Bros. to be its new international partner, giving Warners a shot at having a piece of the James Bond franchise. One caveat, the arrangement doesn’t include the next James Bond film.
The two companies announced the arrangement on Sunday.
MGM’s previous partner was Universal, which released 2022 James Bond installment No Time To Die internationally, as well as such high-profile MGM as House of Gucci and Licorice Pizza.
Under their former agreement, Universal had helped MGM steer pandemic-era releases like Ridley Scott’s starry crime drama “House of Gucci” to $100 million overseas, Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming-of-age story “Licorice Pizza” to $15 million (which is impressive since the movie only generated $17 million in the U.S.), and “No Time to Die,” the 25th Bond entry, to $613 million internationally. Prior to landing at Universal, Sony Pictures International distributed the first four 007 installments with Daniel Craig as the suave super-spy. With the new arrangement, Warner Bros. will be responsible for Bond 27 and beyond — though that may take a while. Bond’s long-time custodians Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have yet to announce a successor to Craig, who hung up his suit in “No Time to Die.”
Under the pact, Warner Bros. International’s distribution division will handle all Warners movies, beginning with the release of Bones and All in November of 2022 and Creed III, which is set for 2023.
Both MGM and Warner Bros. are under new leadership. MGM is owned by Amazon, while Warners is owned by Discovery.
