As global markets grapple with the potential for economic slowdowns due to the coronavirus outbreak, Hollywood is now being affected by the virus.
On Wednesday, the companies that produce the James Bond series announced that the release of the latest installment in the series, “No Time to Die,” will be pushed back to November 2020.
“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.”
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
As The Hollywood Reporter notes, studio executives were weighing whether or not to proceed with the initially planned release date of early April in light of the outbreak — and not just for health reasons.
Since January, thousands of movie theaters in China shut their doors as people were warned against going to crowded locations. Additionally, movie executives fretted that outbreaks in Italy, South Korea, and Japan would take a toll on the movie market.
Officials in several countries have warned people against going to crowded locations. Meanwhile, Switzerland has banned events that were expected to draw more than 1,000 people.
On March 2, the blog MI6-HQ — which calls itself the “world’s most visited unofficial James Bond 007 website” — published an open letter calling on the studios to delay the release of the movie due to the outbreak.
“After enduring three delays in production already, it is by no means easy to say this: the release of ‘No Time To Die’ should be postponed,” the letter read.
It continued, “It is time to put public health above marketing release schedules and the cost of canceling publicity events.”
The newest film will now be released in November, during the Thanksgiving weekend, just over five years after “Spectre,” the last movie in the series was released.