Barbara Broccoli is the real boss of James Bond. What I primarily remember about James Bond is that he’s disrespectful to women. So how could it be that a woman is behind the James Bond franchise?! I first spoke about Barbara Broccoli in my article, Who Is The Next James Bond? A Non Bond Fan Makes Her Prediction. But I wanted to know more about her.
Who Is The Woman Behind The James Bond Franchise?
Her name is Barbara Broccoli, and she’s the daughter of Albert R. Broccoli (Cubby Broccoli) who started and co-owned EON Productions together with Harry Saltzman. They brought James Bond out of Ian Fleming’s novels and into movie theaters when Barbara was just a toddler.
In the mid 70s Harry sold his shares of the production company to United Artists, now known as MGM Studios. By the way, MGM Studios was recently purchased by Amazon.
In the mid 90’s, Cubby turned EON Productions over to Barbara and her half brother, Michael G. Wilson. So, it’s actually Barbara and Michael who co-own the Bond franchise with MGM/Amazon.
But it’s pretty evident to me that Barbara steers the ship when it comes to the James Bond brand.
Barbara Broccoli Handpicked Daniel Craig
Barbara Broccoli said recently there would be a reinvention of James Bond with Daniel Craig’s replacement. But it seems the reinvention of Bond really started when Barbara Broccoli handpicked Daniel Craig as the sixth actor to play James Bond.
Barbara Broccoli came on board as a full time producer when the franchise was in the midst of a transition. Pierce Brosnan was just starting as the 5th James Bond. Her dad was ill and unable to work on the film. And, there hadn’t been a Bond movie in six years!
Despite the challenging transition, the Brosnan era went well, with Barbara and her brother moving things along.
Things took a huge step forward when Barbara selected Daniel Craig (and he accepted) as the next James Bond. Unlike previous Bond actors, Daniel Craig was allowed to provide input and decision making in the films.
Barbara Broccoli Is Vital to the Evolution of James Bond
I’m viewing all the James Bond movies to see how James Bond evolves over the years. I’m still early in the journey, but by the end of the Sean Connery era, I wondered if James Bond could ever evolve.
The producers of that time kept him contained in a very small box. And, even had they wanted him to evolve, how would they pull it off, stay relevant and survive? Sean Connery set the tone for James Bond. Any changes would have to be subtle yet impactful.
Reading about Barbara Broccoli and the Daniel Craig era, it’s good to know that evolution does take place.
With a woman at the helm, the franchise that often glorified the motif of male dominance suddenly became more equal. James Bond finally had a female boss with the introduction of M, played by Judi Dench. And the Bond beauties began to evolve from one-dimensional stereotypes into fleshed-out characters like Michelle Yeoh’s Wai Lin in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies and Halle Berry’s Jinx in 2002’s Die Another Day.
The Hollywood Reporter
Before diving into the first Bond movie, I watched No Time To Die, the last film Daniel Craig made. What I didn’t see in that movie is: 1) women being coerced into sexual situations by James Bond as in the Sean Connery era. 2) extreme caricatures of female characters (although one was questionable). 3) women drooling over Bond.
Definitely, based on No Time To Die compared to the Sean Connery Era, there’s been an evolution. I have to wait until I view the entire Daniel Craig era before I see how much James Bond has evolved.
James Bond films recently celebrated its 60th birthday, with Dr. No being the first James Bond movie in theaters, in 1962. Would James Bond have survived all this time without Barbara Broccoli steering the ship since the mid 90s?
I know she’s not the only one in charge, but I do believe the franchise is guided by Barbara Broccoli’s knowledge, intuition and instinct. That’s why I can’t wait to see what she does with the next Bond, especially if it’s Tom Hughes (my prediction for the next James Bond actor).
If you don’t know why I, a non Bond fan, am watching all twenty-five James Bond movies and predicting who the next James Bond will be, start here: Who Is The Next James Bond? A Non Bond Fan Makes Her Prediction.