Industry predicts 'No Time To Die' will delay again
02-Dec-2020 • No Time To Die
A new report in Variety that analyses the tough choices facing studios on how to get their movies in front of an audience during the on-going Coronavirus pandemic predicts that James Bond may have to wait longer than its currently-scheduled April 2021 release.
Most major blockbusters have already shifted to summer 2021 (or even later), but Bond is increasingly looking lonely in the first half of the year.
Variety notes: "it’s possible that MGM’s 'No Time To Die' will move again after being pushed from April to November to the spring of 2021. The Bond sequel is currently scheduled to premiere on April 2, 2021, but the movie’s financial backers are wary of being the first blockbuster out of the gate because its core audience skews older, a demographic that’s been more reluctant to go to the movies during the pandemic."
Some of the refreshed marketing materials for 'No Time To Die' have simply stated '2021' rather than 'April 2021' indicating the studio was unsure of how realistic April was from the day they announced it.
November 2021 is the most likely target for 'No Time To Die', but how long MGM takes in announcing another move remains to be seen. Last time around, they let many of the promotional partners launch their expensive campaigns only to pull the rug from under them a few days later.
Depending on how the movie-going market looks, there is also a possibility that the film slips further to 2022 - which would be the 60th anniversary year for the cinematic 007.
Either way, the odds of 'No Time To Die' opening in April 2021 get longer each day.
