James Bond film release pushed back 7 months due to virus
This is a Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015 file photo of actor Daniel Craig poses for the media as he arrives for the German premiere of the James Bond movie 'Spectre' in Berlin, Germany.[Michael Sohn/Associated Press]
The release of the James Bond film “No Time To Die” has been pushed back several months because of global concerns about coronavirus.
MGM, Universal and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced on Twitter Wednesday that the film would be pushed back from its April release to November 2020.
The announcement cited consideration of the global theatrical marketplace in the decision to delay the release of the film. “No Time To Die” will now hit theaters in the U.K. on Nov. 12 and worldwide on Nov. 25.
Concerns had already been brewing around the imminent release and the global outbreak. Publicity plans in China, Japan and South Korea had previously been canceled. And on Monday, the popular James Bond fan site MI6-HQ published an open letter to the producers urging them to delay the film’s rollout.
“It is time to put public health above marketing release schedules and the cost of canceling publicity events,” the letter said.
Hollywood film release and production schedules have already been affected by the outbreak. Last week, Paramount Pictures halted production on the seventh “Mission: Impossible” film, which had been scheduled to shoot in Venice, Italy. The studio also postponed the Chinese release of “Sonic the Hedgehog.”
The coronavirus outbreak emerged in China and has spread globally. In all, more than 94,000 people have contracted the virus worldwide, with more than 3,200 deaths.