How to Reboot 007: A James Bond Cinematic Universe (Done Properly)
“Who is Going to be the Next James Bond?”
“Amazon is Going to Ruin 007!”
“A James Bond Shared Universe is Going to KILL CINEMA!”
Okay, okay, let’s all calm down, shall we? It’s no secret that there’s a lot of uncertainty around the future of everyone’s favourite suave Scottish super-spy. The sudden acquisition by Amazon MGM has sparked rumours of a Marvel-type cinematic universe and everyone has been quick to jump on the bandwagon of declaring it to be creatively and morally bankrupt. But what if I told you that a James Bond Cinematic Universe wouldn’t kill cinema, but save it?
Where is the 007 Franchise Right Now?
Firstly, let’s have a look at the current state of the James Bond franchise.
In February 2025, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson sold the creative rights of 007 to Amazon MGM. The studio already held distribution rights and some licensing powers – hence the (frankly awful) gameshow, 007: Race to a Million. The Broccoli estate had creatively controlled the James Bond movies since 1962, and their fraught relationship with Amazon was well documented.
But, whatever their reasons for selling, sell they did. Now, it seems, the future of James Bond is in the hands of David Heyman, who produced the likes of Paddington 2, Gravity, and the entire Harry Potter franchise of films, and Amy Pascal, the American producer of basically anything Spider-Man related, Little Women, and Challengers.
Very little else is known about the franchise’s future. We know that Daniel Craig won’t be the titular Bond, and we know that, according to executives Courtenay Valenti and Sue Kroll, Amazon intends to honour “the legacy of this iconic character while bringing a fresh, exotic new chapter to audiences around the world”.
And that’s it. Anything else is pure speculation.
And speculate, people have. The internet is rife with ideas about who the next Bond will be, and every article in some way alludes to Amazon’s wish to make a media universe akin to the Marvel Studios model of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
All of those articles are right, but the MCU model isn’t the only model to make a shared universe. Let me break it down:
Common Concerns about a James Bond Shared Universe – And Why They’re Wrong
| CONCERNS ABOUT A JAMES BOND SHARED UNIVERSE | RESPONSE |
|---|---|
| Bond is a cinematic experience, where audiences can come, switch off, and then leave. A Cinematic Universe would dilute that. | Cinematic Universes can still be cinematic. The Matrix original trilogy was undoubtedly a theatrical experience. |
| Nobody wants a series about Moneypenny or other side characters. | Everybody wants a series about Moneypenny, as long as the story is good. Remember, nobody wanted a Penguin series until we got one. |
| A Bond Shared Universe would make James Bond obsolete, lost in a universe of other characters. | The MCU didn’t make Iron Man obsolete, or the original Avengers roster. Big doesn’t mean diluted. |
| Changes to the source material without Barbara Broccoli are inherently incorrect | The issue isn’t that Broccoli isn’t making decisions anymore, it’s fear that ‘Amazon’ is. Stories should be told by storytellers, not board rooms. |
| Copying Marvel is a mistake. | Being influenced by the current landscape of cinema is what gave us Casino Royale. The same can AND SHOULD happen again. |
| It’s going to make James Bond weak and WOKE! | James Bond literally gets married and has several mental breakdowns in the original novels. What’s now “classic masculinity” was considered woke when the books came out. |
A Bond Trilogy with a Proper Ending
Spectre Trilogy
Within the James Bond canon, there already exists a trilogy of stories surrounding the infamously sinister organisation known as Spectre, a trilogy that was meant to end the original canon. While the movie franchises have dabbled in direct sequels, most of the cinematic outings have been standalone adventures. So, making an actual trilogy of stories that build on each other to an epic, dramatic, and necessary conclusion would actually be exciting new territory for 007 on screen while also being the most faithful adaptation to date.
Now, what I’m not going to do here is go into many of the stylistic choices surrounding this adaptation. Whether this trilogy is adapted faithfully within its time or modernised as previous Bonds have been is up to, quite frankly, people with more time than me that have been paid to do it. I’m purely here to give broad strokes. That’s why On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has a slightly amended title, it’s up to whenever the movie is set to decide which it is.
I should also state that this trilogy should be written and produced as if they are going to be the only inclusions in the franchise. There should be no Matrix style loose ends that cause audiences to feel like they’re missing something important. Instead, the trilogy should, once completed, be given more of the Andor or Rogue One: A Star Wars Story treatment, exploiting natural gaps that occur in all stories and using them to explore and expand what exists in the core franchise.
Finally, before I pitch the trilogy, it’s important that the core trilogy is released cinematically, and is given all the care, attention, and budget that’s expected of event cinema. At its core, that’s still what this is.
So, without further ado, here’s my James Bond shared universe pitch:
Thunderball
Upon M's insistence, James Bond takes a two-week respite in a secluded natural health spa. But amid the bland teas, tasteless yogurts, and the spine stretcher the guests lovingly call 'The Rack', Bond stumbles onto the trail of a lethal man with ties to a new secret organisation called SPECTRE. When SPECTRE hijacks two A-bombs, a frantic global search for the weapons ensues, and M's hunch that the plane containing the bombs will make a clean drop into the ocean sends Bond to the Bahamas to investigate.
On the island paradise, 007 finds a wealthy pleasure seeker's treasure hunt and meets Domino Vitali, the gorgeous mistress of Emilio Largo, otherwise known as SPECTRE's Number 1. But as powerful as Number 1 is, he works for someone else: Ernst Stavro Blofeld, a peculiar man with a deadly creative mind.
On His / Her Majesty’s Secret Service
In the aftermath of Operation Thunderball, Ernst Stavro Blofeld's trail has gone cold and so has 007's love for his job. The only thing that can rekindle his passion is Contessa Teresa 'Tracy' di Vicenzo, a troubled young woman who shares his taste for fast cars and danger. She's the daughter of a powerful crime boss, and he thinks Bond's hand in marriage may be the solution to all her problems. Bond's not ready to settle down yet but he soon finds himself falling for the enigmatic Tracy.
After finally tracking the SPECTRE chief to a stronghold in the Swiss Alps, Bond uncovers the details of Blofeld's latest plot: a biological warfare scheme more audacious than anything the fiend has tried before. Now Bond must save the world once again and survive Blofeld's last, very personal, act of vengeance.
You Only Live Twice
The tragic end to James Bond's last mission courtesy of Ernst Stavro Blofeld has left 007 a broken man and of little use to the British Secret Service. At his wit's end, M decides that the only way to snap his best agent out of his torpor is to send him on an impossible diplomatic mission to Japan. Bond's contact there is the formidable Japanese spymaster Tiger Tanaka, who agrees to do business with the West if Bond will assassinate one of his enemies: a mysterious Swiss botanist named Dr. Guntram Shatterhand.
Shatterhand is not who he seems, however, and his impregnable fortress - known to the locals as the 'Castle of Death' is a gauntlet of traps no gaijin has ever penetrated. But through rigorous ninja training, and with some help from the beautiful and able Kissy Suzuki, Bond manages to gain access to Shatterhand's lair. Inside lurks certain doom at the hands of 007's bitterest foe or a final chance to exact ultimate vengeance.
Expansion that Preserves the Essence of Bond
Whether the trilogy is adapted faithfully or modernised, there are a few necessary beats that can be exploited and expanded in external material.
The key words there being “few” and “necessary”. For a James Bond Shared Universe to work, it must only exploit material that would elevate this trilogy. For example, this trilogy charts the end of James Bond’s career, from high-flying superspy who is slow to love to jaded and traumatised widow. Seeing how Bond got to those heights and emotional distance, perhaps in a Casino Royale AAA videogame would make the subsequent fall all the more tragic.
An already existing (if slightly silly) example of this is in Star Wars. Everyone knows that Princess Leia is a sharp tongued, quick witted, and ballsy character in A New Hope. We already know she’s lying to Darth Vader when she tells him she’s on a diplomatic mission. But after watching Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, we know that Darth Vader literally watched her escape with the Death Star plans less than an hour ago. Without a single edit to the original film, audiences have a completely new understanding of the dialogue.
The trick is to know what to add, and when to add it. The only way to do that is to finish the trilogy, and then pick it apart. How did Q branch make that seemingly perfect gadget? What effect did Bond’s grief have on MI6’s effectiveness and status in the weeks and months after his wife’s death?
When expanding from a complete trilogy into new stories, it’s better to be Andor than Secret Invasion. By doing that, it preserves the theatricality of the James Bond franchise, and amplifies the story the creatives are trying to tell. Done properly, this era of Bond could result in the trilogy being released and re-released in cinemas at certain points to massive audiences.
Here’s a list of natural entry points I found just in the original texts:
Casino Royale: AAA Videogame
Rise of Spectre: Limited Series
Qutting Edge: A Q Branch Novel
Funeral of James Bond: Live Event
Endings are important. They’re what give stories their meaning. If the trilogy already exists – and the final frames filmed before the franchise expands – how is it possible to stop in a way that’s satisfying to audiences?
In the original book of You Only Live Twice James Bond is thought to be dead. The only change I would say is necessary for this adaptation to work is that he should actually die, but the aftermath shouldn’t be seen. If all goes well, the franchise should have the largest following it’s ever had. So, when the time comes to round off this era of Bond, we all get to attend his funeral. The original cast would return to deliver eulogies or simply attend as guests, and it would be a massive cultural moment to rival Avengers: Endgame. Except unlike Endgame, this ending would be absolute. After the guests file out of the funeral, this era of James Bond would end.
Then What? The Future of James Bond
Well, at that point they’d start again. This expanded trilogy is in many ways a response to the current cinema and storytelling climate. The trilogy alone would take 5-8 years to make, with subsequent material probably occupying the next 5 years at least. So, after 15 years, what’s “hot” will look starkly different. At that point, it’s time to do what 007 does best, go back to the drawing board and make a whole new James Bond reboot with immediate cultural currency.
But right now? Right now, Amazon has the potential to revolutionise what people see as a ‘cinematic universe’ and push it forward into new, exciting territory.
If you want to know more about transmedia storytelling and its applications, check THIS out.
Or, if you just want to read about how Andor is a better way to tell a franchise story than the most recent series of Doctor Who, you can read that HERE.
If you’re looking for comprehensive, concise, and constructive feedback on your script, check out my Fiverr profile to see how I can help, or contact me! It’s cheap as chips and may just get you that Oscar!
