Who Is Barbara Broccoli & Why Does She Matter to the James Bond Franchise?
James Bond fans were a bit worried when it was announced that Amazon MGM Studios is taking over creative control of the Bond franchise from the Broccoli family, namely Barbara Broccoli. That begs the question, who is the Broccoli family and why did they have control of the beloved franchise? It all started in the 1960s when Barbara’s father, Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, teamed up with Harry Saltzman and got studio backing to turn the James Bond novels into films.
Barbara was born in 1960, so she grew up traveling around the world for the filming of Bond movies. During the shooting of 1967’s You Only Live Twice, she recalled getting a fever while staying on a remote Japanese island due to the customs of sleeping on the floor. Actor Sean Connery was one of the only ones to get a bed while filming, so he gave it up for her and called in his doctor to help her recover. As she got older, Barbara began to work with her family’s company and her first official credited job was as an executive assistant for the 1983 Octopussy film.
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When did Barbara take over?
Barbara formally took over the franchise with her stepbrother Michael Wilson in 1995, just a year before “Cubby” passed away in 1996. They oversaw GoldenEye in 1995 starring Pierce Brosnan and the film was a hit. Just a few years later, after the horrific Sept. 11 attacks, Barbara and Michael wanted to make Bond more “realistic” and cast Daniel Craig as the new James Bond. Barbara, with a degree in motion picture and television communications from Loyola University, has also done some non-James Bond work. She produced films such as Crime of the Century as well as the London Stage production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, adapted from the film produced by her father.
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Barbara told Town & Country about the changes. “My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli. I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”
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Michael added, “With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
What’s next for James Bond?
The last James Bond film aired four years ago and was said to be Craig’s final run as the action star. Rumors have been swirling for years about a new James Bond, perhaps a female version, but nothing has been set in stone. Now, with the changes in creative control and tons of fan speculation, who knows what will happen? Currently Bond 26 is in the very early stages of casting, with Pierce Bronson recently telling GQ when asked if he would return to the role, “Of course, how could I not be interested?” ultimately saying it really should be reserved for fresh blood. Stay tuned for further developments. Now tell us, what do you think of the whole deal?
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Classic Hollywood Hunks
September 2019
Cary Grant, Sean Connery, Rock Hudson and Paul Newman, smoldered onscreen and, in addition to being smokin’ hot, they were effortlessly cool.
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