DISPATCHES FROM UNIVERSAL EXPORTS: Amazon Buys MGM, Studio Behind James Bond, for $8.45 Billion. “For Amazon, snapping up MGM — which has more than 4,000 movies and 17,000 TV shows in its catalog — is a way to supercharge its Prime Video service with a slew of well-known entertainment titles. In addition, Amazon is anticipating being able to mine Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer properties like the Pink Panther, Rocky and, yes, the 007 franchises for new originals…The MGM deal is Amazon’s second-largest acquisition, behind its $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods in 2017. Amazon didn’t say when it expects to close the MGM acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approvals and other routine closing conditions; however, insiders believe the pact will be approved by the end of 2021. The purchase price includes the assumption of MGM’s debt. MGM will continue to operate as a label under the Amazon brand.”

I was about to ponder the fate of Gone With the Wind in today’s uber-woke era, but IndieWire notes: ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Are Not Part of the Amazon-MGM Deal; Here’s Why. “It’s a huge library, but notably absent are some of MGM’s most iconic films, including ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ and ‘Gone With the Wind.’ Those titles — and all other MGM movies made before 1986 — belong to WarnerMedia.”

Flashback: Gone With the Wind Shoots To No. 1 On Amazon’s Bestseller List, Sells Out After Being Pulled By HBO Max.

(Classical reference in headline.)