Timothy Dalton "shocked" by James Bond producers' exit, reveals his hopes for the Amazon era

The news marked the end of an era for the Bond movies, which had remained a family business since the release of inaugural entry Dr. No in 1962.

Dalton – who was speaking to RadioTimes.com to promote his role in the upcoming second season of Taylor Sheridan drama 1923 – played the iconic secret agent in two films in 1987 and 1989.

"I was very, very surprised and shocked," he said of the news of Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson's departure.

"Barbara is I think a fabulous woman and a wonderful producer, as was her father Cubby Broccoli, who I got on with very well and liked a lot. He was a very powerful and strong anchor for the project. Nothing went on that he didn't want and it's sad that he's not with us anymore, that's all I can say.

"He was well in charge of the show and that's not so anymore."

• Timothy Dalton is sad to see 1923 end – but he's "pleased" with final episodes

Dalton's two outings as Bond – 1987's The Living Daylights and 1989's Licence to Kill – are renowned for hewing closer to Ian Fleming's original 007 novels, taking the films down a darker path following the more light-hearted Roger Moore era.

Reflecting on where Bond might go next, he suggested Amazon would be wise not to stray too far from what has made the character so beloved from the 1960s onwards.

"It's a wonderful franchise. The movies have taken different courses over the years, but there is something very good about the original and I hope Amazon latch onto that and give us the kind of film that's brought so much excitement and fun to so many people.

"Can you remember the first time you saw a Bond movie? You were a kid, right? Me too! And that's what got us going.

"Anyway, good luck to them, I say. I do wish them all the very, very best. They'll be doing their best to make a lot of money, so hopefully they will make good movies."

Broccoli and Wilson will remain co-owners of the Bond franchise alongside Amazon, but Amazon MGM Studios will have complete creative control of any future entries. Wilson in his words said he was looking "to focus on art and charitable projects" and Broccoli cited his retirement as having influenced her own decision to "focus on my other projects".

Read more:

• Daniel Craig speaks on James Bond franchise news as Amazon takes creative control
• James Bond losing its long-time producers is a huge shift – but what does it mean for 007's future?

Timothy Dalton stars in Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 – season 2 premieres Sunday, 23rd February, exclusively on Paramount Plus. Get a seven-day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.