007: Moneypenny James Bond Spin-off Show Was Pitched by Amazon

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007: Moneypenny James Bond Spin-off Show Was Pitched by Amazon

A James Bond spin-off focused on the character Miss Moneypenny has been pitched by Amazon. Will it ever come to fruition, though?

James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson reportedly announced they were selling the franchise to Amazon just a few days before the Academy’s six-minute stage performance dedicated to James Bond’s iconic theme songs.

Could the Moneypenny James Bond spin-off show still happen?

Amazon reportedly approached Broccoli with ideas for a television series based on the Moneypenny character. Both Broccoli and Wilson, however, were not interested. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Broccoli and Wilson had “very different ideas for their father’s legacy, as well as a decades-long deal with MGM guaranteeing them creative dominion over all things Bond.” Warner Bros. exec Courtenay Valenti, who Broccoli reportedly “liked,” couldn’t even sway the two into the Moneypenny series idea.

However, back in 2022, Amazon purchased the franchise’s longtime home MGM, giving them freedom to create spin-offs based on the iconic franchise. Now that the half-siblings are out of the picture, Amazon can basically come up with any series ideas — and a Moneypenny spin-off may not be impossible at this point.

While Broccoli and Wilson were not down with the Moneypenny spin-off idea, Amazon now has full access to the franchise. However, according to James Bond Encyclopedia author John Cork (via THR), Amazon may need “to get people in the room who understand” the character as much as Broccoli and Wilson do.

Based on a fictional character created by Ian Fleming, the James Bond franchise has spawned numerous movies starting with the Sean Connery-starrer Dr. No in 1962. Connery went on to star as the titular spy in six more Bond films, including 1963’s From Russia with Love, 1964’s Goldfinger, 1965’s Thunderball, 1967’s You Only Live Twice, 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, and 1983’s Never Say Never Again.

George Lazenby also played the titular secret agent, having had the shortest tenure as James Bond with only one movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, in 1969. Roger Moore then took on the mantle between 1973 and 1985 before Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan starred as James Bond in succeeding spin-offs. Daniel Craig served as the last actor to play the iconic 007, with 2021’s No Time to Die as the last James Bond outing so far.