PRIME TIME
A look at what the takeover by global giant Amazon of MGM means for the legendary studio, moviegoers — and the future of cinema.
Distribution Sales, confident that the promise of a bigger library could be something to celebrate. But a question mark remains around the future of certain legacy MGM titles in cinemas. The company makes these films, but doesn’t put them in cinemas — so they will need new partners once existing deals with distributors expire. “It could be a worry that Amazon doesn’t make the effort to sign up another company for theatrical rights — but if I were them I’d find no reason to not make them available,” Spandley adds.
Another film industry exec based in London, who asked not to be named, agrees: “It’s a way to preserve a legacy brand and hopefully revive some of these great properties.”
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR HOLLYWOOD?
Amazon’s acquisition isn’t the first time a film company has been swallowed up in this way, but it is indicative of a shift in the film industry, responding to increasingly flexible viewing habits from audiences. Jeremy Kay, Americas editor for industry magazine Screen International, explains: “The feeling in Hollywood is that Amazon will get behind releasing movies from the MGM stable in cinemas when it makes sense. But cinema-going is evolving, and consumer demand to watch new content at home as early as possible has changed how movies are released.” So that’s not to say MGM films in cinemas will be scrapped altogether — it just might not be the default anymore.
The takeover is hardly unprecedented — after all, MGM itself was the result of a merger by Marcus Loew in 1924 when he put together Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer pictures. And it’s part of an ongoing trend in the industry — Columbia Tristar was bought by Sony; Disney acquired Fox, the list goes on. The question is whether MGM’S place on the big screen is preserved. “MGM’S history is making stuff for cinema,” our London-based expert says. “Amazon have found they’ve been really good at making stuff for television, so this could be the way for them to be taken more seriously as a proper production studio. They’re a cuttingedge technology company and they’ve teamed up with one of the oldest studios in Hollywood. Why would you buy a film studio if you didn’t have ambitions for making films?”
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR BOND?
Above all else, MGM is the home of James Bond. So does this mean we’ll only be able to watch 007 save the day on our laptops? Thankfully, no. “It behooves Amazon to preserve the 007 canon both in style and the way the movies get released in global cinemas, because the franchise has been a huge cash cow and Amazon won’t want to change that,” Kay explains. “Plus, Bond producers Eon Productions, who control the spy property with MGM, are protective of it and have made it very clear they intend to continue making these movies for worldwide cinema-going audiences.” Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson were emphatic when the news broke: “We are committed to continuing to make James Bond films for the worldwide theatrical audience,” they said in a statement.
When the time comes for a new Bond title to leave cinemas and be released online, we could enjoy a Prime Video release ahead of other streaming platforms — but certainly not cinemas. “Eon will still be determined for films to be played in cinemas, I have no doubt,” Spandley adds. “They are passionate about cinemas in the way Christopher Nolan was passionate about making sure Tenet played on the big screen. Which is nice — we don’t really feel like we’re being looked after at the moment!” So rest easy for now: Amazon is looking after MGM, MGM is looking after Bond, Bond is still looking after us. Some things will – hopefully – never change.