Barbara Broccoli Unites David Oyelowo, Rachel Brosnahan, and Cynthia Erivo for an All-Star Othello

Barbara Broccoli is stepping away from 007 for a minute and heading straight into Shakespearean tragedy. And yes, this all ties back to Amazon taking the wheel on Bond.

First, the Bond shuffle

When Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion in 2022, they basically inherited James Bond. They wanted new Bond movies fast. That did not happen fast. Creative clashes with longtime stewards Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli at EON Productions slowed everything down. Earlier this year, Amazon paid Wilson and Broccoli to clear the decks and lock in creative control of the franchise for the foreseeable future. In their new setup, Amy Pascal (Pascal Pictures) and David Heyman (Heyday Films) are producing the next Bond movie, Denis Villeneuve is signed to direct, and Steven Knight is writing. Big swing, big names. Make of that what you will.

So what is Broccoli doing now? Othello.

Deadline says Broccoli is moving forward with a feature version of William Shakespeare's Othello, based on the 2016 stage production she backed that relocated the story from 17th-century Venice to a U.S. military barracks in Iraq. The core tale stays the same: Othello, a respected Moorish general, gets played by his bitter ensign Iago and is tricked into thinking his wife Desdemona is cheating. It ends as badly as you remember.

David Oyelowo (Lawmen: Bass Reeves) will star as Othello and direct. Rachel Brosnahan (Superman) is Desdemona, and Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) is Emilia, Desdemona's maid. Oyelowo and Brosnahan also did these roles in Broccoli's stage run, where Iago was played by then-Bond Daniel Craig. That is a fun full-circle detail.

• Setting and approach: A modern, Iraq-set take on Broccoli's 2016 stage version
• Cast: David Oyelowo as Othello; Rachel Brosnahan as Desdemona; Cynthia Erivo as Emilia
• Director: David Oyelowo
• Producers: Barbara Broccoli and Nicky Bentham for EON; David Oyelowo for Yoruba Saxon
• Partner and financing: Katara Studios in Doha is partnering and co-financing
• Where and when: Filming in Qatar in fall 2026
• Incentives: Tapping the Qatar Screen Production Incentive
• Post/VFX: Company 3 is on board

"Our cinematic version of Othello is bitingly modern and fearlessly ambitious. To have a real shot at that, you need fearless actors. Cynthia is not only a generational talent but a dear friend with whom I am always keen to collaborate, and Rachel was a dream to play opposite in our original stage production and has been an inspiring pillar to build around for our fresh take on this legendary tale."

Short version: while Amazon steers Bond with a new creative team and a Villeneuve-Knight combo, Broccoli is channeling her attention into a sharp, contemporary Othello with a cast that has already proved it works. It is a notable pivot, and one worth keeping an eye on as the film heads to Qatar next year.