Amazon, on Wednesday, acquired famed Hollywood studio MGM for a whopping $8.45 billion. Acquiring the studio, which is behind some classic films and shows such as the James Bond franchise, The Handmaid's Tale, and Legally Blonde, will add to Amazon's extensive library of cinema. This, in turn, is expected to give Amazon an edge over streaming rivals such as Netflix and Disney+. "It's very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling," Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Prime Video and Amazon Studios said about the deal.
Seconding this, Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder said, “MGM has a vast, deep catalogue of much-beloved intellectual property. With the talented people at MGM and the talented people at Amazon Studios, we can reimagine and develop that IP for the 21st century.”
Mr. Bezos made the statement at the company's annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday. A Reuters report quoting Mr. Bezos stated that Andy Jassy would be taking over as CEO on July 5, the day Amazon was incorporated in 1994. Mr. Bezos had announced in February that he would be stepping down as CEO.
The developments regarding the acquisition and Mr Bezos' departure have given rise to some smart memes on the internet.
For instance, industrialist Anand Mahindra had a James Bond-inspired take on the news. He wrote, “The name's Bezos. James Bezos... (With apologies to Ian Fleming and Jeff Bezos).” British writer Ian Fleming is the brain behind James Bond.
Replying to Mr. Mahindra's tweet, one user said, “Jeff buys firms like we would pizza.”
American comedian and talk show host, Stephen Colbert believed that this will not be Mr. Bezos' last such buy before he steps down as CEO.
Actor-comedian Chris Pratt, too, weighed in on the development.
Some even wondered if the Amazon head had some acting ambitions. One user said that Mr. Bezos just wanted to be a Bond villain.
"Why would you buy an entire studio when you could get the James Bond CDs on Amazon already?" one user wondered.
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