Amazon Moves Fast, Greenlights 'James Bond'-Branded Reality Competition Series

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'Bond' producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli will help oversee '007's Race to a Million' for Amazon Prime Video

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(Image credit: MGM)

Now it's a little clearer why Amazon overpaid in buying MGM for $8.45 billion ... and why it was in a rush to get the deal closed.

The e-commerce giant just announced the first Amazon Prime Video title tied to the purchase, reality competition series 007's Race to a Million.

As first leaked to Variety, the series will be produced by Britain's 72 Films, in collaboration with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, guardians of the long-running "James Bond/007" franchise, as well as MGM, the studio that owns the venerable spy-thriller saga.

The series is described as "a Bond-style spin on a race around the world."

Also: Amazon Just Paid a 40% Premium to Buy MGM — What’s It Really Getting?

Outflanking the FTC, Amazon closed its MGM purchase just last week. But 007's Race to a Million has reportedly been in development for four years ... which, of course, leads to speculation that Amazon already has many more plans up its sleeve for what is MGM's signature franchise. ■

Daniel Frankel
Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!