The release date for No Time to Die, the 25th film in the James Bond franchise, has been pushed from April to November amid growing concerns about the global coronavirus outbreak. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is the first major tentpole film to see its release date shift as a result of the growing pandemic.
The outbreak has considerably impacted numerous countries around the world, including China, Italy, South Korea, and Switzerland, among others. As a result, various industries have taken a hit as people have opted to, or been forced to, stay home in order to prevent the spread of the respiratory disease. The film industry in particular has been hit hard, with theaters in China—the second-biggest theatergoing audience in the world—remaining closed for weeks due to the outbreak.
No Time to Die, directed by Cary Fukunaga, stars Daniel Craig reprising his role as James Bond for the last time, in addition to franchise newcomers Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, and Ana de Armas. The film was shot in numerous countries around the world, including Jamaica, England, and Norway. As THR notes, studio MGM initially reacted to the news of the coronavirus outbreak by canceling the film’s publicity tours to China, South Korea, and Japan. The release date for No Time to Die was also pushed back to April 30 in Hong Kong specifically.
It’s unclear whether other studios will follow suit and withhold release dates for their own big-budget releases, many of which rely on good performances in China to boost their global numbers. However, as the virus spreads to the United States—states including New York, Florida, and Washington have been impacted so far—it seems likely that we’ll see more release dates get shifted in the coming weeks.
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