Practically a 12 months in the past, it was reported that one other seismic Hollywood takeover was on the playing cards. Now, fingers have been shaken, ‘i’s have been dotted, ‘t’s have been crossed – and Jeff Bezos has ever-so-slightly lightened his condo-sized pockets to maneuver 007 and Rocky Balboa into his nice, whopping big gaff. Sure, the $8.5 billion deal for Amazon to welcome MGM Studios (and, extra importantly, Leo The Lion) to its fold has been accomplished. And simply to place that mind-boggling price ticket into context, that’s as a lot as Disney paid for Marvel and Star Wars mixed (but, nonetheless a good bit off the $71.3 billion the Mouse Home paid for twentieth Century Fox in 2019).

The deal seems set to convey over 4,000 movies and north of 17,000 episodes of TV Amazon’s approach, with notable MGM properties together with the James Bond and Rocky franchises – although particular particulars on what is going to stay on Prime Video are at the moment TBC. Past the present catalogue, the deal will put these franchises on the forefront of Amazon’s IP-focused endeavours going forwards (Eon’s blessing allowing, an Ana de Armas-starring Bond spin-off sequence is unquestionably on Bezos and co’s minds and never simply ours, proper?) whereas the acquisition may also give Prime an enormous enhance in content material as they search to maintain the tempo with streaming juggernauts like Netflix and Disney+, the latter of which has simply gained Marvel’s ‘Defenders Saga’ from the previous. Traditional motion pictures comparable to 12 Indignant Males, Silence Of The Lambs, and Robocop are all MGM properties that might bolster Prime Video’s ranks, in addition to TV exhibits comparable to Fargo and The Handmaid’s Story.

In a press release on the acquisition shared by Selection, MGM chief working officer Chris Brearton sounded enthusiastic concerning the future for one in all cinema’s oldest studios. “We’re excited for MGM and its bounty of iconic manufacturers, legendary movies and tv sequence, and our unimaginable crew and inventive companions to affix the Prime Video household,” stated Brearton. “MGM has been answerable for the creation of a few of the most well-known and critically acclaimed movies and tv sequence of the previous century. We stay up for persevering with that custom as we head into this subsequent chapter, coming along with the good crew at Prime Video and Amazon Studios to supply audiences with the easiest in leisure for years to return.”

So, about that Paloma spin-off sequence then…