March 4, 2020–No Time to Die will be postponed until November, the James Bond sequel’s backers announced on Wednesday.
The film was originally supposed to be released internationally on April 2, and in the U.S. on April 10.
However, the spread of coronavirus has led to closures of theaters in major markets such as Italy, South Korea, China and Japan. That could have been a major blow to “No Time to Die,” which cost more than $200 million to produce and millions more to market.
Given that hefty budget, the film will need to perform well in international markets if it wants to make a profit.
No Time to Die will be released in the U.K. on November 12, with worldwide release dates to follow, including the U.S. launch on November 25, 2020.
MGM and EON produced the film. Universal is handling the international rollout.
“No Time to Die’s” decision disrupts the release calendar. Other major tentpoles may now consider delaying their releases until coronavirus has been contained.
Theater closures are having a huge impact on their bottom line, with revenues in places like Hong Kong and Taiwan plummeting nearly 50% and the box office drying up in Italy.