We’ve seen tech conferences fall by the wayside due to fears over the coronavirus, and now one of the tech fraternity’s favourite movie franchises is also feeling the effects.
The long-awaited release of the next James Bond film No Time To Die has been postponed for a whopping seven months, seemingly to ensure audiences feel comfortable heading to the movie theatre without risk of catching the illness.
The release date was scheduled for April 3 and will now launch in the UK on November 12. It’s the first movie to shift its release date due to the virus, which is currently spreading rapidly.
In a statement (via Hollywood Reporter), the major player behind the release wrote: “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.”
Should the spread of the virus be under control by the time November rolls around, it’ll be a massive Thanksgiving blockbuster release. This is the 25th film in the Bond franchise and it can expect to rake in around a billion dollars at the box office, if fans feel up to heading to the cinema to check out Daniel Craig in action for perhaps the final time.
The decision comes after fans of the series pushed for the premiere to be postponed in order to prioritise the health of attendees.
Writers for the popular MI6-HQ.com blog wrote this week: “With a month to go before No Time to Die opens worldwide, community spread of the virus is likely to be peaking in the United States,” an open letter read.
“Today, Washington declared a state of emergency. There is a significant chance that cinemas will be closed, or their attendance severely reduced, by early April. Even if there are no legal restrictions on cinemas being open, to quote M in Skyfall, ‘How safe do you feel?’”
They have their wish, but we’re not sure those fans would have bargained for a seven month delay.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
