Metro Goldwyn Mayer, the studio behind the James Bond franchise, could end up getting a Bollywood makeover if a billion-dollar movie deal goes through.
MGM is in a financial crunch right now, and is set to be bailed out by Indian movie giants Reliance Big Pictures, which is owned by tycoon Anil Ambani.
Ambani wants to snap up MGM for a knockdown price of about 1.5 billion dollars, and a source close to him has revealed he wants to buy the studio to help his bid to become the world's most powerful movie mogul.
If the deal goes through, Ambani will gain the rights to the Bond movies.
Ambani already owns a stake in Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks studio and has struck deals with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Jim Carrey and Julia Roberts to develop their films.
'Anil is desperate to become the biggest mover and shaker in world movies and buying MGM is central to that plan,' the Daily Star quoted a source as saying.
MGM plans to release a new Bond film in 2011, starring Daniel Craig.
Image: Daniel Craig and Eva Green in a scene from Casino Royale.
