'No Time To Die' release date pushed back to 2021

No Time to Die, the latest James Bond installment, will be postponed until next year, the film-makers announced on Friday.

The film, starring Daniel Craig in his final stint as the agent formerly known as 007, is expected to hit theatres on April 2, 2021, a year later than initially planned, reported Variety. Curiously, No Time to Die is now set to open the same weekend as Fast & Furious sequel F9. Universal, the studio behind the high-octane franchise, is distributing the Bond film internationally.

Back in March, No Time to Die was the first major tentpole to shift its release date before the global health crisis caused by coronavirus could even be classified as a pandemic. After its first delay, it was set to premiere in the UK on November 12 and in North America on November 20.

“MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, today announced the release of No Time To Die, the 25th film in the James Bond series, will be delayed until April 2 in order to be seen by a worldwide theatrical audience,” the film-makers said in a statement. “We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans but we now look forward to sharing No Time To Die next year.”

Numerous films were shuffled around in the wake of Tenet’s lackluster US box office performance in September. But industry experts suggested the release date for No Time to Die might not waiver because the Bond franchise relies heavily on international ticket sales and overseas cinemas have seen a stronger return to theatres compared to domestic venues.

Yet, the decision to move the upcoming Bond entry into next year is not entirely surprising considering coronavirus cases in Europe have started to rise again and New York and Los Angeles, the two biggest US markets, remain closed.

No Time to Die carries a production budget of over $200 million and cost millions more to promote. The studio reportedly lost millions when it shelved the film earlier in 2020. Given Bond’s global appeal, the sequel’s backers wanted to wait until audiences across the world felt safe returning to theatres to have a chance at turning a profit.

The delay is another major blow. Without No Time to Die, Pixar’s Soul - out on November 20 – is the next big project slated for theatrical release. However, there are rumblings that Disney will move the animated adventure and possibly even put it on Disney Plus, the studio’s subscription streaming service. Two Warner Bros. titles, Wonder Woman 1984 and Dune, are still set for December, though there’s a chance those could be postponed again as well.

Cary Joji Fukunaga-directed No Time to Die sees Rami Malek as Bond’s adversary Safin, Léa Seydoux returning as Bond’s love interest, and Lashana Lynch playing a new ’00 agent. The cast also includes Ana de Armas, Ben Whishaw, and Christoph Waltz.

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