:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66435558/bond_25_B25_31842_RC2_rgb.0.jpg)
No Time to Die, the final Daniel Craig James Bond movie, has had its release date moved back. The film was set to debut in North American theaters and around the world in April. But in hopes of garnering a better box-office performance, the studios behind the film have decided to move its release back to November.
The move comes after No Time To Die’s publicity tours in Japan, China, and South Korea were canceled, according to The Hollywood Reporter. No Time To Die’s Hong Kong release was previously postponed from April 10 to April 30.
“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 U.K. on November 12, 2020 with worldwide release dates to follow, including the U.S. launch on November 25, 2020,” the studios told Deadline in a statement.
While the move seems to have been made for economic reasons, it comes amid growing global concern over COVID-19’s spread. The virus has caused the cancellation or postponement of many events around the world, including in the United States, with events like the annual Game Developers Conference. COVID-19 has also had an adverse effect on the box office, particularly in countries with more cases, like China and Italy.
China first reported cases of the novel coronavirus disease to the World Health Organization in late December. According to Vox.com’s latest updates, there are more than 92,000 confirmed cases of the virus worldwide, with outbreaks in mainland China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy. Since the recognition of the outbreak, there have also been 100 cases reported in the United States. As of March 4, 27 cases of coronavirus and nine deaths due to the outbreak have been reported in Washington state.
