No Time To Die Delayed Until November

The release of No Time To Die has been delayed until November.

The 25th James Bond movie, which will see Daniel Craig's final outing as 007, had been due to hit cinemas in April but it has now been pushed back by seven months, reportedly due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak around the world..

A statement issued on the official James Bond twitter account read: "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.

"The film will be released in the UK on November 12, 2020 with worldwide release dates to follow, including the US launch on November 25, 2020."

When the virus first began to spread, publicity tours for the film, which had been due to have its world premiere in London on March 31, were scrapped in China, South Korea and Japan and the Hongkong release was delayed until 30 April. The movie was slated to open in Singapore April 9; at press time, the new release date is yet to be announced.

Earlier in the week, die-hard 007 fans begged MGM and Universal to delay the release of the movie, which marks Daniel Craig's final appearance as the British spy, in an open letter after an Asian promotional tour for the 25th instalment was cancelled.

An open letter from James Page and David Leigh, the founders of fan sites MI6 Confidential and The James Bond Dossier, said it was time for MGM and Universal "to put public health above marketing release schedules and the cost of cancelling publicity events".

The spread of COVID-19 has led to closures of cinemas in major markets such as China, Japan, South Korea, and Italy. That could dampen the box-office prospects of No Time to Die, which reportedly cost more than US$200 million (S$277 mil) to produce and millions more to market. To make a profit, the movie will need to perform well in international markets. — BANG