James Bond’s next chapter was quickly approaching its release date, only just over a month away from opening in theaters worldwide. But this morning, it was announced over social media by the film’s official pages that the release date of No Time to Die will now be November 25 rather than April 10. This is already its second major release setback, after delays last year from changeover in director and an injury to lead actor Daniel Craig, which moved the release from November 19 to April 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
States of emergency have been declared around the world because of the Coronavirus outbreak. The publicity tour for this film, among others, has been limited because of the virus, so marketing has not been able to hold up to the standards of such a major release.
Now the film will be releasing during the much more popular holiday season, but will also be up against bigger competition like Godzilla vs. Kong and Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon.
Mission Impossible‘s next film was also put on hold because of health concerns about filming in Europe. It is unclear how many more films will be delayed by the coronavirus, which is now a worldwide issue that impacts both production and distribution.