As the Bond franchise heads to the online giant, thriller author William Boyd foresees a slew of spin-offs and says AI is not a threat to human screenwritersAmong the people best placed to predict how any James Bond of the future might look is a British writer with a strong feel for spies and for spying. William Boyd has been drawn back to the terrain repeatedly in his books. What’s more, he wrote his own official Bond novel, Solo, in 2013.Now Amazon has picked up the rights to the character, Boyd foresees a succession of 007 spin-off products and entertainments. Perhaps even be new AI-generated novels? “Certainly wait for Bond aftershave – and for the theme park and the dinner jackets,” he said. “The new owners will have to commodify everything about their billion-dollar purchase, so there will be nightclubs and vodkas.” Continue reading...
William Boyd, a British writer known for his 2013 James Bond novel *Solo*, discusses the future of the James Bond franchise as Amazon acquires the rights. Boyd predicts a wave of spin-offs, including nightclubs, vodka, and aftershave, as Amazon commodifies the brand. He defends Ian Fleming’s original Bond novels as the foundation of the character’s mythos, emphasizing their authenticity over modern adaptations. Boyd, who drew inspiration from Fleming’s work for his own novel, also expresses openness to developing a new Bond-style franchise featuring his character Gabriel Dax.
