Amazon’s big acquisition of the legacy film studio, MGM, is looking to pay off in a big way. One of the biggest stories that first came out of this studio purchase was whether the streamer would be releasing future James Bond movies exclusively through the platform since MGM owns the rights to the 007 agent. Amazon would assure people that Bond would continue to be a theatrical experience. However, there is still a whole library of intellectual properties that the channel plans on re-adapting in some way.
Deadline reports that among those properties are popular past franchises that include Robocop, Stargate, Legally Blonde, Fame, Barbershop, The Magnificent Seven, Pink Panther, and The Thomas Crown Affair. Amazon Studios has been exploring the list of titles they now have the rights to in an effort to reboot in a film or TV medium. Amazon shelled out over $8 billion for the MGM legacy, and, just as Disney continues to pump out Star Wars content after purchasing Lucasfilm for half as much, Amazon is not looking for their acquisition to go to waste.
There have not been any official plans announced as of yet, but word is that each franchise is being planned for a different approach. Some that have the potential for a number of ongoing stories are being considered for a new TV series adaptation, while others are being planned for feature-length outputs. One of the more prominent examples involves an active early conversation on Legally Blonde, both for a movie and a potential TV series, sources say. The past five years have already seen attempts to get a third film off the ground with another Elle Woods story, and despite a straight-to-video effort starring Hilary and Hayley Duff, no progress has been made with a successful Reese Witherspoon follow-up.
According to Deadline, one of the first properties on the dock with a revitalization is the Stargate franchise. Again, options are being explored as to whether it will be rebooted as a new film series or streaming show, however it’s being said a movie may be released first, with a subsequent show continuing the story. Robocop is being considered for the same plan, except with the order flipped, as Amazon is thinking of premiering a show at first, then capitalizing with a feature.
After the success of Creed III last month, there have already been plans set in motion to expand the universe in a number of ways, including spin-offs in both film and TV. It was even recently announced that Amazon signed a first-look deal with Sylvester Stallone and his Balboa Productions, and Rocky-related projects may be one of the possibilities to come out of that.