When James Bond hit the silver screen in 1962, everyone wanted to be a spy. The danger, the Cold War intrigue, the gadgets, the women, it all looked so exciting.
And long before Hollywood even knew what sequels were, the Bond series became a goldmine, and with Skyfall coming this Fall, 007 is still one of the most successful franchises in history.
So with the next James Bond flick arriving November 9, and the fifty year anniversary of the first Bond film, Dr. No, the news has hit that Amazon has acquired the Ian Fleming 007 library, the North American rights for print and Ebook, for the next ten years.
As Deadline reports, Amazon said in a statement, “This deal heralds a new phase in Ian Fleming’s publishing story. We are excited to be using the opportunity of this re-license to introduce Ian Fleming’s books to a broader audience in the USA, and we believe that Amazon Publishing has the ability to place the books back at the heart of the Bond brand, balancing traditional publishing routes with new technologies and new ways of reaching our readers.”
Amazon is now publishing their own books as well, signing a big deal for Penny Marshall to write her memoirs, and the Bond books they’ll be acquiring include Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds are Forever, From Russia with Love, Dr. No, Goldfinger, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, You Only Live Twice, The Man With the Golden Gun, Octopussy, and The Living Daylights.
The Bond books have reportedly sold over 100 million copies worldwide, and as Variety also reports, 007 has a new videogame coming as well, 007: Legends. Legends will come out through Activision Blizzard, and the game plot will be a blend of six movies, and perhaps it will also include the new Bond as well, which would dovetail nicely with the release of the game.
As Activision said in a statement, “To honor 50 years of the world’s top secret agent, 007: Legends offers a collection of his most famed moments. Creating a videogame storyline that ties together six popular, yet very different, Bond movie narratives can be challenging, but our developer Eurocom has pulled it off.”
