James Bond Producer Barbara Broccoli Named NFTS President

Barbara Broccoli, the producer behind the James Bond franchise, has been named the next president of the U.K.'s National Film and Television School (NFTS). She becomes the first female president in the school's history.

Broccoli succeeds Oscar-winning producer David Puttnam, whose credits include "Chariots of Fire," "The Killing Fields" and "Midnight Express." Puttnam moves into an honorary position as president emeritus.

The timing is not accidental. The announcement comes ahead of the opening of the Cubby Broccoli Building at the school's Beaconsfield campus in January 2027. The building carries the name of her father, Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, the producer who established the James Bond franchise.

What will the new building offer?

The Cubby Broccoli Building will bring three concrete additions to the campus:

• State-of-the-art teaching facilities
• Specialist creative spaces
• The school's first purpose-built, fully accessible on-site student accommodation

The accommodation point matters. On-site housing removes a practical barrier for students who can't easily commute to Beaconsfield, a market town west of London. For a school that trains much of Britain's screen talent, accessible living space widens who can actually attend.

What does the change in presidency signal?

Broccoli's appointment puts one of British cinema's most powerful dynasties in the school's top ceremonial role, just as her family's name goes onto its newest building. Her father built the Bond franchise from 1962's "Dr. No" onward; she has carried it as a producer through the Daniel Craig era.

In a statement, Broccoli framed the role as both personal and institutional. "It's a tremendous honor to become president of the National Film and Television School, following in Lord David Puttnam's footsteps," she said. "Having been involved with the NFTS for many years, I have seen first-hand the extraordinary talent it develops and the vital role it plays in shaping the future of our industry. With the opening of the Cubby Broccoli Building taking place in January, this is especially meaningful. My father believed in the power of filmmaking and in giving talented people the opportunity to succeed."

Puttnam, for his part, cast the handover as the closing of a circle. "I could not be happier than to be handing over the presidency of the NFTS to my close friend Barbara," he said. "To leave the school in such good hands is repaying the last of the many debts I owe to my predecessor Richard Attenborough. My long relationship with the school, and the challenges we've faced and overcome has in many ways defined my career. I'd like to pay a special tribute to those many, many colleagues who have helped make the NFTS the most rewarding journey of my life."

The lineage is worth noting: Richard Attenborough handed the presidency to Puttnam, and Puttnam now hands it to Broccoli. Each successor has deepened the school's ties to the producing side of the industry — the people who finance and build films rather than direct them.

The presidency at the NFTS is largely an advocacy and ambassadorial post rather than a day-to-day management job. What Broccoli brings is clout: a working producer with five decades of franchise experience, a family name now physically anchored to the campus, and a stated commitment, in her words, to "giving talented people the opportunity to succeed."

The real test arrives in January 2027, when the Cubby Broccoli Building opens and the school's capacity — for teaching, for creative work and for housing students — expands at a moment when the U.K. screen industry is hungry for trained crews.