The next James Bond film No Time to Die has been pushed back to November.
The 25th release of 007, which was to be Daniel Craig’s last, was slated for a worldwide release in April, but a few weeks before the release, MGM, Eon and Universal decided on a seven-month deadline.
In a statement, the three companies say the decision was made “after careful consideration and a thorough assessment of the global theater market”. It will now be released in British theaters on November 12 and in the United States on November 25.
The date coincides with the most recent 007 entries which all bowed in November. No Time to Die will now face competition from Disney animation Raya and the last dragon, Godzilla vs Kong and King Richard, a drama starring Will Smith as the father of Venus and Serena Williams.
The move comes after the fear that the coronavirus could affect the global box office up to $ 5 billion. There have been movie theater closings in Italy, South Korea, China and Japan. The Bond franchise is traditionally supported by international markets, the last four films all making more than 70% of their gross outside the United States.
No Time to Die cost $ 200 million and faced problems during production, including a late departure from original director Danny Boyle and a serious ankle injury to Craig. It was originally planned for a November 2019 version, which was then moved to February before moving to April.
This week saw a joint open letter from two major 007 fansites calling for a change in release date due to the coronavirus. The founders of MI6 Confidential and The James Bond asked the companies behind the film to “put public health above marketing exit schedules”.
Major releases like The Invisible Man have been postponed in Italy on unknown dates. Last weekend, the country experienced a 75% drop in the box office compared to the equivalent weekend of the previous year.