After much consideration, MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, announced today that Cary Joji Fukunaga's Bond sequel, NO TIME TO DIE, will be postponed until November 12, 2020 in the U.K., and until Novermber 25, 2020 in the U.S.
News of the delay was announced via Twitter on Wednesday. You can view the tweet below:
Originally, NO TIME TO DIE was set to be released internationally on April 2 and in the U.S. on April 10. Be that as it may, the spread of the coronavirus has caused many theaters to close shop, including cinemas in major areas such as Italy, South Korea, China, and Japan.
The postponment of NO TIME TO DIE arrives not long after writers for the MI6-HQ website — the largest Bond fan blog and contributors to several books related to the film, including the official MI6 Confidential magazine — had penned an open letter to NO TIME TO DIE producers Eon and distributors MGM and Universal, to delay the movie's release until the summer.
“With a month to go before No Time to Die opens worldwide, community spread of the virus is likely to be peaking in the United States,” the letter states. “Today, Washington declared a state of emergency. There is a significant chance that cinemas will be closed, or their attendance severely reduced, by early April. Even if there are no legal restrictions on cinemas being open, to quote M in Skyfall, 'How safe do you feel?'"
Whether or not the letter played a part in the postponement of the film may never be determined, though it appears that the group's wish to delay Bond's latest action-packed escapade has been granted.
It's to be understood that the decision to delay NO TIME TO DIE could disrupt the release calendar considerably, especially when other potential blockbusters are likely to follow MGM and company's example. According to insiders, theater closures could result in major loses overall. As an example, places like Hong Kong and Taiwan are looking at nearly a 50% loss of box office revenue. It's also worth noting that theaters in Italy are currently transforming into ghost towns. It's possible that with continued delays of tentpole features, the latter end of this year could be overcrowded with films that had missed their premiere mark due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, from a script penned by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, and Cary Joji Fukunaga and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, NO TIME TO DIE stars Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, with Jeffrey Wright, with Christoph Waltz and Ralph Fiennes as "M". Also starring are Rory Kinnear, Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, and Billy Magnussen.
Here's the official synopsis for NO TIME TO DIE:
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
What do you think about the decision to delay the release of NO TIME TO DIE? Is it best to err on the side of caution or are movie studios playing a dangerous game by possibly flooding the theater market later this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.