“Succession” star Brian Cox will control the fate of contestants on James Bond reality show “007’s Road to a Million.”
The Golden Globe winner has been cast as the enigmatic “Controller” on the forthcoming Prime Video series, which will see contestants competing in teams of two on a global adventure to win a £1 million cash prize. Filmed in many Bond locations — from the Scottish Highlands to Venice and Jamaica — contestants must correctly answer questions hidden in the different locations around the world to advance to the next challenge.
From the sounds of Prime Video’s description of Cox’s character, it seems the streamer is leaning into the actor’s recent turn as “Succession” patriarch Logan Roy. “The Controller is villainous and cultured, and revels in the increasingly difficult journeys and questions the contestants must overcome,” reads the synopsis. “He has millions of pounds to give away — up to £1m per couple — but he doesn’t make it easy. Whilst he lurks in the shadows, he is watching and controlling everything.”
Cox said: “I got to see how ordinary people would cope with being on a James Bond adventure. As they travel the world to some of the most iconic Bond locations, it gets more intense and nail-biting. I enjoyed my role as both villain and tormentor, with license to put the hopeful participants through the mangle.”
First revealed by Variety, “007’s Road to a Million” is a collaboration between Amazon Studios, Eon Productions, 72 Films and MGM Alternative. It marks the first time Eon has allowed the Bond IP to be used in the unscripted world.
“People have always come to us about doing a TV show, [saying,] ‘Oh, you should do a Bond challenge,’ but we always stayed away from it because we didn’t want to put people in danger and have them do dangerous things, because it’s not for members of the public — it’s for trained professionals,” Eon boss Barbara Broccoli told Variety last year.
“007’s Road to a Million” was the first time a producer — Britain’s 72 Films (“The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty”) — approached the pair with an idea that seemed both “fun” and also safe. “It wasn’t going to be dangerous to the participants is the key thing,” added Bond producer Michael G. Wilson.
The show will launch on the platform later this year.