Not even James Bond is immune from the coronavirus. After suffering numerous setbacks and delays over the past few years, it looked like we were finally going to be able to see Daniel Craig’s last turn as 007 in No Time to Die this April. But the coronavirus outbreak had other plans, and the 25th Bond film has been delayed yet again.
Due to fears that the outbreak could severely hurt the box office results for the pricy blockbuster, the studios and producers have announced that they’re pushing back the premiere date for No Time to Die all the way to November 25 — a stunning seven-month delay. “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,” read the statement from the official James Bond Twitter account on March 4.
The film had already canceled several press tour events in Asia, and the delay makes sense when looking at the current state of global cinemas. Currently, the bulk of movie theaters in China are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, as are some theaters in Japan, South Korea, and Italy. More countries could follow suit as the virus spreads. Things are likely to get worse before they get better, so as disappointed as we are to see Bond delayed yet again, we can understand the move. And odds are many fans will, too, as the film’s postponement comes after an extensive fan campaign launched on March 2 that called on the producers to do just that. “It is time to put public health above marketing release schedules,” stated an open letter from the founders of fan sites MI6 Confidential and The James Bond Dossier.
It’s definitely a bummer that we won’t get to see No Time to Die before Thanksgiving weekend, but people’s health comes first. Hopefully, the world will be a healthier place by the time Nov. 25 rolls around.
