Feb 20 (Reuters) - Amazon MGM Studios will take creative

control of the James Bond franchise under a new joint venture

with longtime rights holders Michael Wilson and Barbara

Broccoli, the tech giant said on Thursday.

Amazon ( AMZN ) bought MGM Studios in 2022 as a part of its media

push, which had granted the company distribution rights to the

long-running action franchise but not creative control.

All the involved parties will remain co-owners of the

franchise.

"With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years,

I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus

on art and charitable projects," Wilson said.

James Bond is one of the world's most popular movie

franchises, with over twenty-five films and has earned billions

of dollars on the box office.

The move will allow Amazon ( AMZN ) to take a more hands-on

approach to the next films and gain more ground in the media

business while streaming rival Netflix continues to dominate the

online video streaming space.

The film franchise is looking for a new actor to play

James Bond after Daniel Craig stepped down from the role in

2021. The casting has fueled speculation, which includes major

actors including Idris Elba and Henry Cavill, but no official

announcement has been made yet.