No Time to Die new release date pushes Bond film to November 2020
Could coronavirus concerns be the villain? The movie's producers cite a "careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace."
Super-spy Agent 007 might have No Time to Die, but the producers of the upcoming James Bond movie decided a little extra time would be a good idea.
The official James Bond Twitter account announced on Wednesday that the movie's release has been pushed back to November 2020.
MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, announced today that after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of NO TIME TO DIE will be postponed until November 2020. pic.twitter.com/a9h1RP5OKd
— James Bond (@007) March 4, 2020
The tweet attributed the decision to studios MGM and Universal, and to Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the film's producers. While the statement didn't specifically reference the impact of the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, it does mention a "careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace."
And that marketplace has taken a hit from the coronavirus outbreak. In China, where the new illness first appeared, movie theaters were shut down in January and remain closed, while worries about exposure have been affecting movie attendance in South Korea, Japan and Italy, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The China closures could cost Hollywood more than $2 billion just through the end of February, the publication reported.
No Time to Die stars Daniel Craig as the iconic British agent in what promises to be the longest Bond film to date. The movie was originally set to open in March in the UK and in April in Australia and the US. The UK release is now set for Nov. 12, while the US date is set for Nov. 25.
A representative of James Bond production company Eon Productions declined to answer our query about whether the release delay was related to the coronavirus outbreak, instead forwarding a copy of the original social media statement.
