In 26 movies, James Bond has fought off obsessive autocrats, crazed plutocrats and various vicious nemeses, despite a lifestyle that puts him at serious risk for alcoholism and STDs.
But apparently, coronavirus is too strong for the British super-spy.
On Wednesday, the producers of the iconic film series announced that they have decided to delay the release of the next Bond film, “No Time To Die,” until November.
The film had been scheduled to hit theaters on April 10 in the U.S.
The announcement of the delay came via Twitter:
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
A subsequent tweet shared the film’s new release dates in North America and the U.K.
The film will be released in the U.K. on November 12, 2020 with worldwide release dates to follow, including the US launch on November 25, 2020.
— James Bond (@007) March 4, 2020
The decision to delay “No Time To Die” came a day after Bond fans posted an open letter asking that the film release be pushed back to the summer “when experts expect the epidemic to have peaked,” and urging the filmmakers to “put public health above marketing release schedules.”
The letter, written by James Page and David Leigh, the founders of two Bond fan sites, tried to speak a language they figured any person involved in making a film franchise can understand: box office receipts, citing stats for the 2015 Bond film, “Spectre.”
“China and Japan have closed theatres for weeks. The Chinese box-office in January and February 2019 combined to $1.5b. The same period this year has netted just $3.9m – a 99.7% drop.
“Of the countries with large public gatherings banned or restricted, their combined ‘SPECTRE’ box-office was $313m, or 38% of the global haul.”
The letter then reasonably suggested that delaying the film wouldn’t be the end of the world, while appealing to producers’ sense of duty.
“It’s just a movie. The health and well-being of fans around the world, and their families, is more important,” the letter said. “We have all waited over 4 years for this film. Another few months will not damage the quality of the film and only help the box-office for Daniel Craig’s final hurrah.”
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